Women around the world are making a difference. In spite of the perception that politics is a man's world, women engage in politics at all levels to understand, claim and exercise their power as change agents.

If this is true, then why are pages of print and hours of broadcast time dedicated to talking about Hillary Clinton's cleavage, Condoleezza Rice's boots, and Cristina Fernández's suits instead of their political agendas and leadership skills?

Around the globe, women working in formal political systems, informal social networks and grassroots organizations are confronting these questions — including organizations like the International Museum of Women (I.M.O.W.).

If you delve into India, you will discover that recent legislation mandated that one-third of all seats in village councils be reserved for women. The result: More than 2 million women have secured good schools, adequate water and proper sanitation for their villages.

In spite of ethnic tensions and unstable regimes, Nigerian women work collectively to transform their communities. They protest environmental destruction and exploitation of workers in the Niger Oil Delta, and they stage tribunals to inform judges about brutal acts of violence against women.

In Norway, for several decades women have formed and held a critical mass (over 30 percent) in parliament. Thus, progressive legislation such as extended, paid parental leave and adequate funding for domestic violence shelters are not pigeonholed as "women's issues."

Women are the cornerstones in Mexico of securing provisions for the damaging effects of Mexico's reorientation towards being a player in the global economy. As maquiladora (factory) workers, they organize for fair wages and working conditions. They also are in leadership positions and serve as the backbone of Zapatista movements, where they actively preserve land rights and indigenous ways of life.

Examining Morocco reveals recent changes to the Family Code that have led to an amazing result. The first ever class of women congregational leaders were trained in 2006. Now, women lead both religious interpretation and democratic processes. They are stepping in where diplomacy, wars and attempts at cross-cultural understanding have failed.

Finally, in the United States where women still face significant obstacles to holding the highest political offices, a path has been paved by women trailblazers to advance leadership opportunities. Contemporary women are learning lessons from political campaigns by Victoria Woodhull, Shirley Chisholm, Patsy Mink and Doris "Granny D" Haddock, who had the moxie to run for Senate in 2004 at 94-years old.

To further understand the transformative role of the political process in women's lives ­ and the state of communities, countries and continents, ­ I.M.O.W. offers a multimedia global online exhibition "Women, Power and Politics" from March 8 to December 31, 2008 in four languages ­ (English, French, Spanish and Arabic). People can visit, submit personal stories, be inspired, connect across borders and take action to transform the world.

There is too much at stake to spend wasted effort waxing about women's appearances when real work needs to be done and real issues need to be addressed.