Defending the Realm: The Appointment of Female Defense Ministers Worldwide

With comprehensive cross-national data from the post-Cold War era, the article develops and test three sets of hypotheses concerning women’s access to the defense ministry. This article demonstrates that women remain excluded when the portfolio's remit reinforces traditional beliefs about the masculinity of the position, particularly in states that are engaged in fatal disputes, governed by military dictators, and large military spenders. [WorldCat]