Catherine Reyes-Housholder, "How Women Win Presidential Elections in Latin America" (Temple UP, 2026)

Between 1990 and 2020, women candidates won only 6% of the world’s presidential races. How Women Win Presidential Elections in Latin America (Temple University Press, 2026) explains the factors, strategies, and perceptions

that help (or hinder) women to democratically access their country’s

highest political office. Dr. Catherine Reyes-Housholder introduces a

theory of gendered incentives and perceived potential to reveal why a

political party would break with tradition and nominate a woman. She

also shows how citizens respond when women candidates are running in

incumbent parties or competing to displace those in power.

Drawing on comparative research on the presidency and gender, How Women Win Presidential Elections in Latin America

examines the successful campaigns of Michelle Bachelet in Chile and

Dilma Rousseff in Brazil, as well as why Blanca Ovelar lost her

presidential race in Paraguay. Dr. Reyes-Housholder’s findings indicate

that voter sexism is not a major factor; however, women do not triumph