Female protagonism in european politics

a case study of Mary Stuart

Abstract

The following research analyses women as Heads of State through the government of Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots during the sixteenth century, bringing a comparison with the present, and answering the question whether over time there have been changes in the perception of women as international political leaders. Based on the studies of gender issues within International Relations and on the theoretical basis of Mary's story, it was possible to examine the confrontations and interferences in opposition to her reign on the grounds that she was a woman, emanating from the principles of an era justified by religious conduct. The research considers how gender is still an unexplored area of study and how female leadership is understood in the international sphere, discipline and society as a whole, resulting in a theoretical approach that punctuates social and academic evolution to feminist topics, and considers what still needs to be achieved for egalitarian development.