Why is it that, although Burmese women historically enjoyed relatively high social status and economic influence, for the most part they remained conspicuously absent from positions of authority in formal religious, social and political institutions? This is the starting point of a fascinating study that explores the relationship between gender and power in Burmese history from pre-colonial times to the present day and which aims to identify the sources, nature and limitations of women’s power. It thus examines the concept of ‘family’ in Burmese political culture, how various influences like Buddhism shaped Burmese concepts of gender and power, and how the effects of prolonged armed conflict, economic isolation and political oppression have constrained opportunities for women to attain power in contemporary Burma.