The Research Committee on Women, Politics and Developing Nations was created as a study group in 1988 by the International Political Science Association and became a full-fledged Research Committee in 1992. In December 2015, the RC's name was changed to "Women and Politics in the Global South".

2003-2006  Chair: Yolanda Sadie (University of Johannesburg, South Africa)

2006-2009  Chair: Yolanda Sadie (University of Johannesburg, South Africa)

2009-2012  Chair: Mariel R. Lucero (Universidad de Congreso, Mendoza, Argentina); Vice-Chair: Sandra Leiva (Universidad Arturo Prat, Iquique, Chile)

2012-2015  Chair:

2015-2018  Chair:

2018-2021  Chair: Jo-Ansie Van Wyk (Unversity of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa)

2021-2023  Chair: Mariel R. Lucero (Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina) 

2023-           Chair: Swarna Rajagopalan (Independent Scholar)