T he past few weeks have offered some stunning samples of female leadership. Angela Merkel's jaw-dropping neckline, at the opening of the Oslo Opera House, made headlines across the globe. It was as if somebody had told the German chancellor once too often that female powerhouses lack femininity. The 37-year-old Carme Chacón is Spain's first woman defence minister. Her seven months pregnant belly protruded as she reviewed troops in Madrid last week (and did not stop her visiting Span-ish troops in Afghanistan at the weekend).

Nine out of 17 members of the Spanish prime minister's new government are women. No more convincingly could José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, a self-described feminist, have shown that he is serious about equality be-tween men and women in business and politics. Following the example of Norway, Mr Zapatero proposed a law in 2006 demanding that women make up at least 40 per cent of the candidates from any political party and 40 per cent of the members on company boards.