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Dynasties, daughters and the dilemma of democracy in Southeast Asia
Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra looks on after a meeting at Government House in Bangkok on June 24, 2025. © Reuters
David Hutt is a research fellow at the Central European Institute of Asian Studies (CEIAS) and Southeast Asia columnist at the Diplomat. He writes the Europe Meets Southeast Asia newsletter.
Of the seven women who have held the highest political offices in Southeast Asia, only one (former Singaporean President Halimah Yacob) is not the daughter, sister or wife of a senior male politician.
