Women's participation in parliaments, high courts, and executive
offices worldwide has reached record high numbers, but this
global increase in women's representation masks significant variation
among different democratic political systems. For example, in
December of 2009, Rwanda's legislature contained 56% women,
while the U.S. Congress contained only about 17% and the Japanese
Diet had only 11%. Since 2000, only twenty-seven women
have achieved executive office worldwide. Contagious Representation
is a comprehensive look at women's participation in all aspects
of public life in the main democratic political institutions--the executive,
the judiciary, the legislature, and within political parties.