Prominence has often been given to the lives and activities of such top female leaders in Asia as Indira Gandhi and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. The ability of a small elite of highly educated, upper-class Asian women to obtain the highest political positions in their country is unmatched elsewhere in the world and deserves study. This book looks at political actors in Asia and covers a wide range of Asian countries, offers original data from various perspectives and engages the latest research on women in politics in Asia.