Linda Robinson is senior fellow for women and foreign policy at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) where she writes about women’s political and economic leadership, the relationship between gender equality and democracy, technology-facilitated violence, and current international affairs. Her latest book, Women in Power: Fighting for Democracy in an Age of Authoritarianism, spotlights the current cohort of women political leaders and tells the powerful stories of the women on the frontlines of the battle between democracy and authoritarianism.
As a historic wave of democratic erosion continues around the world, Women in Power examines how women political leaders are affected by rising authoritarianism and violent extremism—and how they are fighting back to create more resilient democracies and defeat authoritarian attacks. Based on field research and exclusive interviews with a dozen recent and current women leaders, many of whom have flown under the radar despite tackling existential crises facing their countries, this book assesses governing formulas and systemic reforms that successfully shore up democracy. From Taiwan’s Tsai Ing-wen to Moldova’s Maia Sandu to Mia Mottley in Barbados, these women repelled hybrid attacks from China, Russia, and other sources and introduced substantial governance reforms. Robinson brings her deep expertise in foreign policy and national security to reveal how women are excelling as commanders in chief and changemakers on the global stage. The book provides fungible governing formulas for aspiring leaders who seek to lead and contribute to democratic resilience at a critical time.
She was previously a senior international researcher and director of the Center for Middle East Public Policy at the RAND Corporation. She has also been a fellow at the Wilson Center, the Merrill Center at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, the International Institute for Strategic Studies, and the Nieman Foundation at Harvard. A former foreign correspondent for U.S. News & World Report and senior editor at Foreign Affairs, Ms. Robinson provides frequent commentary on international affairs and U.S. foreign policy. Her books include Masters of Chaos, a New York Times bestseller; Tell Me How This Ends, a Foreign Affairs bestseller and a New York Times Notable Book of 2008; One Hundred Victories, about Afghanistan; and Intervention or Neglect, about Central America. She received the Gerald R. Ford Prize for Reporting on National Defense and the Maria Moors Cabot Prize for reporting on Latin America. She served as Chair of the U.S. Army War College Board of Visitors and in other government advisory positions and has testified before Congress on multiple topics including special operations, the Iraq war, and the Middle East.
