The Buzz...About Books

About a hundred years ago, on November 7, 1916, Jeannette Rankin became the first woman elected to the US Congress. Five years later, Canadians welcomed their first female member of Parliament, Agnes Macphail. Women have come a long way since then. Here are eight books to mark some of the memorable, (in)famous, and fierce women in politics.

Olivia Chow
My Journey

Although she lost the last election, Chow remains a strong voice for the New Democrats in Canada. Like Hillary Clinton, mentioned later, Olivia was also one half of a powerhouse political couple. My Journey chronicles her life, from a difficult transition from Hong Kong to Toronto as a teen to her rise on the #topoli scene.

Sarah Palin
Going Rogue: An American Life
Love her or hate her, Palin became a household name in 2008 when she ran, unsuccessfully, for vice president in the US elections. She remained governor of Alaska until the following year. She later wrote Going Rogue. If you're feeling a little more irreverent, try Going Rouge: An American Nightmare.

Condoleezza Rice
No Higher Honor: A Memoir of My Years in Washington

 Rice served as the 66th US Secretary of State – the first black female to hold the position. Like most politicians, she's received her share of criticism, but is still a notable figure in the intersection of race, gender and politics in the US.

Hillary Clinton
HRC: State Secrets and the Rebirth of Hillary Clinton

To have a list of women in politics and not mention Hillary? Just. Not. Possible.

Angela Merkel
The Chancellor and her World

Merkel has served as the Chancellor of Germany since 2005. She joins the ranks of other 'firsts' in political history: she's the first woman to hold the position. She also became the longest running head of government in the European Union as of 2014. No big surprise that she's been named Forbes' Most Powerful Woman in the World this year.

Benazir Bhutto
Daughter of the East

Bhutto was Prime Minister of Pakistan twice; first in 1988, then again in 1993. She's credited as being the first female leader of a Muslim country. Nicknamed the 'Iron Lady' because of some of her tough political stances, Bhutto survived a coup d'état in the mid 90s only to later be assassinated in 2007.

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
This Child Will Be Great: 
Memoir of a Remarkable Life by Africa's First Woman President

 Yet another woman to break the barriers down! Sirleaf is the first elected female head of state in Africa and she currently serves as the President of Liberia. In 2011, she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her work in promoting the rights and safety of women in some of the most impoverished nations in the world.