Still dealing in dichotomies?!

On January 18, 2013, The New York Times reported anticipation among leading women of the world about the rise and globalization of women’s issues. A month later, however, The Observer reported a decline in women’s presence in British public life. So which is it? Are women’s issues genuinely featuring more seriously on the political agenda and are we truly witnessing a wave of positive change in women’s status and condition across the globe? Or are things unchanged, if not getting worse, in terms of women and power? Can women’s issues be properly addressed if women are, in fact, losing ground politically and are less well represented in public life than they were 10 years ago?