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.
Bringing together activists and researchers this book reviews the different paths Sri Lankan women have taken to achieve greater political and economic empowerment and control over their lives after the independence in 1948. In the first part of the book researchers focus on various spheres where women are affected, including law and human rights, the impact of the continuing enthnic conflict, education and employment, health and population, changes in social structures and the emergence of women's organizations. The second part of the book presents the voices of Sri Lankan women themselves.