Melanie Hughes

My primary interests lie in the study of gender and politics across countries. I have published numerous articles on the topic in journals such as American Sociological Review, American Political Science Review, and Social Forces. I also coauthored a book titled Women, Politics, and Power: A Global Perspective, now in its Third Edition (CQ Press, January 2016). I am particularly interested in the ways that gender intersects with other forces of marginalization to influence women’s political power. My new book manuscript investigates the political dominance of men from racial, ethnic, and religious majority groups worldwide.  I am Deputy Editor of Gender & Society, a top-ranked journal in both sociology and women's studies.  I also work hard to connect my research to policymakers, practitioners, and the public. In 2013, I taught at a high-level policy seminar at the European University Institute. I have been collaborating with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to increase the availability of data on gender equality in political leadership and public administration. I also appeared in a 2014 documentary on the political socialization of girls called Raising Ms. President.