Linear Trajectories or Vicious Circles? The Causes and Consequences of Gendered Career Paths in the National Assembly

Abstract

Despite ‘parity’, various factors have contributed to the low proportion of women within the National Assembly. Men and women are still following different career paths to national office, with women facing numerous obstacles along the way. Women are less likely to accede to executive positions in local office, and tend to enter politics slightly later in life, perhaps due to a greater share of domestic obligations. Men are more likely to enjoy fast-tracked political careers, to benefit from strong implantation in their constituencies, and to benefit from alternative routes into politics such as being a suppléant. Once elected, men are more likely to sit on the prestigious parliamentary committees, and have better opportunities for promotion to government. The combination of a later start and reduced power, both within the constituency and in parliament, may explain why women's parliamentary careers tend to be shorter and less distinguished than those of men.