Women Legislators Research Articles

The Evolution and Challenges of Women Legislators in Bihar: A Historical Analysis

This paper explores the role of women legislators in Bihar, India, from the first general election in 1952 to the present. It examines how women’s participation in the state assembly has changed over time and the challenges they have faced. In the early years, women had very limited representation in Bihar’s politics, mainly due to patriarchal norms, caste discrimination, and a lack of political opportunities. The 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments in the 1990s, which introduced reservations for women in local governance, helped increase their participation, particularly at the grassroots level. However, at the state level, progress has been slow. As of 2020, women held only 10.7% of seats in the Bihar Legislative Assembly. Despite these challenges, women legislators have made important contributions, especially in areas like education, healthcare, and social welfare. This study also highlights barriers such as caste and gender bias, financial limitations, and a lack of support from political parties. Finally, the paper suggests policy changes, such as stronger reservation enforcement and more support for women candidates, to improve women’s representation in Bihar. Women in politics, Bihar, Political representation, Gender inequality

Women’s Legislative Representation and Human Rights Treaty Ratification

Abstract Do recent increases in women’s representation around the world have implications for international relations? We argue that greater representation of women in legislatures increases the likelihood of human rights treaty ratification for two reasons. First, given their shared gendered experiences of exclusion and discrimination, women legislators will advocate on behalf of marginalized groups on an international scale as transnational surrogate representatives. Second, women legislators may be more inclined to prioritize the ratification of human rights treaties because these treaties align with their domestic policy preferences, which aim to support marginalized groups. We contend that, in countries where ratification depends upon legislative approval, legislatures are more likely to ratify human rights treaties as women’s presence increases. Using an original dataset of 201 multilateral treaties, we find that countries become more likely to ratify human rights treaties as levels of women’s legislative representation increase.

Breaking Down Stereotypes by Realizing Women’s Interests: Gender and Its Impact on Legislative Consensus

The presence of women in legislatures has steadily increased over the past 2 decades, prompting numerous studies to explore the role of women in politics. This article focuses on Spain to analyze how women contribute to parliamentary consensus, a rarely explored but necessary topic in times of polarization and political conflict. The combination of aggregated and member of parliaments’ individual-level data provides a holistic approach to assessing how women operate in legislatures and their predisposition to political conflict. Aggregated findings show that an increase in female political representation does not go hand in hand with more legislative consensus, only when gender laws are approved. Similarly, the individual-level results show the importance of political parties in shaping attitudes toward conflict. Female parliamentarians present less consensual attitudes in the most extreme ideological parties: Podemos and VOX. However, no gender differences exist in the mainstream parties of the PSOE (Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party) and PP (People’s Party). These findings also highlight the institutional and party barriers that women may face when developing their “know-how” in politics.

Gender, Issue Stereotypes, and the Electoral Returns to Distributive Politics in the United States

Elected officials can often successfully increase voter support in their district by “bringing home the bacon,” yet theory suggests that the electoral effects of such efforts may depend on the legislator’s gender and whether the legislator delivered benefits in a stereotypically feminine (e.g., healthcare) or masculine (e.g., agriculture) issue area. Using both observational and experimental data in the United States, we find weak, limited evidence that issue area conditions the electoral impact of credit claiming for legislators of either gender. In addition, we show that men and women are rewarded comparably when they secure benefits for their district, regardless of issue area. Our findings suggest that women legislators — typically more effective than men at securing these benefits — can use distributive politics and credit claiming as an effective electoral strategy without concern that issue-based gender biases in the electorate will get in the way.

Legislative Pioneers: The Brave South Korean Women Spearheading Change Against Gender Discrimination, Violence, and Inequality Through Progressive Laws

In South Korea, women have a long history of fighting against injustice. This includes brutality and discrimination based on gender. This study looks at how South Korean women led the way. The aim of this writing is to examine the critical role played by female lawmakers in South Korea as they lead the charge in passing progressive legislation to fight inequality, violence, and gender discrimination. The study explores the historical background of women's political engagement in South Korea, stressing the rise of women's rights movements and the difficulties experienced by female activists in promoting gender equality. This study proposes to search for the roles of "Legislative Pioneers" in South Korea. It does this by drawing on a thorough assessment of the literature. The paper explores the impact of South Korean women's legislative activism on gender equality through interviews, historical analysis, and official data as mixed approach by both quantitative as well as qualitative methodology. The transformative impact of women legislators in driving legislative reforms aimed at addressing gender-based violence, promoting gender equality in the workplace, and enhancing women's political representation and participation is examined in this paper through an analysis of legislative initiatives and policy outcomes. The conversation also looks at the obstacles and difficulties faced by female parliamentarians, such as institutional impediments in the political system and opposition from conservative forces. Notwithstanding these obstacles, female lawmakers persist in promoting progressive reforms, capitalizing on global connections and partnerships to propel gender parity and women's entitlements in South Korea. In summary, the study illuminates the noteworthy accomplishments of legislative trailblazers in South Korea and underscores their pivotal function in cultivating a society that is more comprehensive and just for every person.

Determinants of women legislators’ media coverage in a male-dominated Kenya political landscape

Determinants of women legislators’ media coverage in a male-dominated Kenya political landscape

Are women politicians outperformed by men? The impact of gender on legislative activity in Japan

AbstractObjectivesGiven the distinct political landscape of Japan, this study aims to explore the impact of gender on the parliamentary behavior of Japanese legislators.MethodsUtilizing a self‐constructed data set covering the 44th–48th Diets (2005–2021), this study examines the individual‐level parliamentary activities of male and female legislators in Japan. Key metrics analyzed include the frequency of speeches delivered in both plenary and committee sessions, alongside the submission of memorandums to the Diet.ResultsThe findings indicate that on the whole, gender exerts only a minimal effect on parliamentary activities. However, upon closer examination of members belonging to opposition parties during specific time periods, female legislators emerge as more active in terms of questioning and memorandum submission compared to their male counterparts.ConclusionThis study unveils a noteworthy trend wherein women legislators in Japan demonstrate equal or greater engagement in parliamentary activities than their male counterparts. These findings underscore the importance of exploring gender dynamics within political systems beyond the Western sphere. Moreover, they emphasize the necessity for ongoing research into gender representation and participation within Japan's political arena.

Are men and women contacted differently by electoral campaigns? A cross-national examination of gender gaps

Although a large literature investigates cross-national differences in party mobilization, little is known about cross-national gender differences in electoral campaign contacts. Using the Comparative Study of Electoral System Module 4, which includes data from 2011 to 2016 and 32 countries, I find gendered patterns in reported contacts across different activities performed by campaigns. I test two potential explanation for these variations: electoral systems and women’s political participation. First, I find that women’s likelihood of reported contacts increases to a greater extent than men’s when electoral systems provide incentives for campaigns to increase their contact rates, decreasing and even reversing gender gaps. Second, I find limited support regarding the impact of the percentage of women in legislatures on gender differences in reported electoral campaign contacts.

Utilization of Social Media by Female Legislative Candidates for Healthy Campaigns

Social media is currently seen as a very effective medium to use in campaigns. Apart from its low cost, social media is also used by many people on this earth, including in Bengkulu. A healthy campaign is a very noble thing and has high moral value. To get sympathy from voters you don't have to carry out smear campaigns or character assassination. However, it can be done well, with full openness and transparency. The research method used is a qualitative descriptive method. Data collection techniques use observation, interview and documentation techniques. Researchers conducted searches on social media used by DPD RI Women candidates. Data on what media are used by female DPD RI candidates. The research results reveal that in general the social media used are Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok. The amount of content and content content for each candidate is similar. The content is adjusted to the situation and conditions currently occurring at that time. Social media platforms are considered to be a very effective campaign tool that can increase the popularity and electability of candidates. Not a single piece of content was found used by the DPD RI Female Member Candidates for the Electoral District of Bengkulu Province which contained SARA content, black campaigning and defamation as well as cornering each other. candidate. This means that the DPD RI Women's Legislative Candidates have carried out a healthy campaign

Self Interpretation: The Identity of Women Legislator

There is an expansion of the meaning of women's personal identities in the process of transforming the contestation of political life in Indonesia. This research is able to interpret the role and position of women in determining the direction of changing women's identity. Methodologically, this research uses a Schutz phenomenological approach through in-depth interviews. Field research was carried out by taking research subjects, comprising eight female members of the legislature in the city of Surabaya. The results of the study revealed women's identity as a form of approved self-meaning: first, women’s identity as a female fighter. This identity offers a form of identity as part of tracking the struggle of gender fighters. The second is women’s identity as a people's fighters. The third is the identity of a great woman who has electability and credibility as people's representatives. The fourth is women’s identity as a superwoman. They stand to fight for their family’s welfare, a manifestation of the excessive burden of the domestic role that is their husband’s responsibility. The most powerful factors forming women's legal identity are family, political parties, community views and political interests. Many "women legislators" in Indonesia are still developing themselves and adapting to the modernization of political identity. In conclusion, the direction of identity change through self-definition is incompatible with the direction of progressive political change in political communication competence. The significance of this research will give an impact on the political system regarding the recruitment and regeneration process of legislative candidates in Indonesia in the future.

Partisan bias and evaluations of women in Congress

ABSTRACT When people are asked to assess the job performance of their representatives in Congress, are women lawmakers evaluated differently from men? Some have argued that women lawmakers are harmed by gender biases, while others suggest that women politicians benefit from their gender. I argue that both hold true, where the direction of gender bias depends on constituents’ partisan motivations. Using responses from the 2006–2020 Cooperative Election Studies, I consider how partisan motivated reasoning conditions the relationship between lawmaker gender and approval of members of Congress. Among those who share the same party loyalties as their member of Congress, those represented by a woman express greater job approval than those represented by a man, all else equal. Among constituents represented by a lawmaker from the opposing party, women legislators are penalized, earning lower evaluations than men. Partisan motivations contribute to polarized evaluations of the job performance of women who serve in Congress.

Substantive Representation, Women’s Health, and Regime Type

A large body of literature investigates whether increasing the number of women in legislative office translates into policies that benefit women in society. This research builds upon theories about descriptive and substantive representation. However, these theories may not travel well to authoritarian contexts, where we see some of the largest gains in women legislators in recent years. This article unpacks the link between women’s descriptive representation, healthcare spending, and health outcomes by regime type. Using a sample of 169 countries from 2000 to 2018, we find that the percentage of women legislators is associated with increased healthcare spending across all regimes. However, women’s health outcomes do not improve with women’s descriptive representation in closed autocracies. Meanwhile, the results for democracies and electoral autocracies are similar, suggesting that even limited vertical accountability through semi-competitive elections may facilitate substantive representation of women.

Women legislators and economic performance

AbstractThere has been a phenomenal global increase in the proportion of women in politics in the last two decades, but there is no evidence of how this has influenced economic performance. We investigate this using data on competitive elections to India’s state assemblies, leveraging close elections to isolate causal effects. We find significantly higher growth in economic activity in constituencies that elect women and no evidence of negative spillovers to neighbouring male-led constituencies, consistent with net growth. Probing mechanisms, we find evidence consistent with women legislators being more efficacious, less corrupt and less vulnerable to political opportunism.

Gendered Self-Promotion: Differences in How Voters Evaluate Women and Men Who Highlight Their Legislative Accomplishments

Conventional wisdom suggests that women can face a punishment from voters for engaging in self-promotion. Self-promotion, highlighting your accomplishments, can be detrimental to women because such behavior violates feminine stereotypic expectations that women be modest and humble. I argue and show that voters do not punish women for engaging in self-promotion but there are different styles of self-promotion that are more beneficial to women than others. I argue that women will be most successful when they use a communal style of self-promotion that emphasizes feminine stereotypic qualities, such as compromise. Conversely, I argue that agentic forms of self-promotion, which draw on masculine qualities, will be less successful for women because agency violates feminine expectations for women. I test the effects of communal and agentic self-promotion using two experiments. The result shows two key findings. First, voters do not punish women incumbents for using agentic styles of self-promotion, but women receive more positive evaluations with communal self-promotion. Second, voters are slightly more likely to reward men for communal self-promotion relative to women legislators.

Law Making for Women Empowerment in Gandaki Province, Nepal

The main objective of this study was to evaluate the status of women's empowerment through lawmaking in Nepal's Gandaki Province. Women face oppression and battle for empowerment. According to Nepal's new constitution, women now enjoy legal protections and rights. Similarly, major political parties such as Nepali Congress, Nepal Communist Party UML, and Nepal Communist Party Maoist, which have led the Nepal government from time to time now have the chance to hold positions of leadership, including those of chief justice of the supreme court of Nepal, speaker of the House of Representatives, and President of the federal democratic republic of Nepal. Even though Nepal's Dawarika Devi Thakurati was the first minister in 1959. The Constitution of Nepal (2015) has made the provision of 33% inclusion of women in all the sectors of government including the federal, the provincial, and the municipal. Women are participants at various levels such as legislature, executive, professors of universities, civil servants, Nepal police, Nepal Army, and teacher. Women are currently involved in planning, implementing, and formulating policies. However, they have to overcome many obstacles in order to pursue their opportunities. Nepal is a developing nation that has made an effort to empower women and has given them good opportunities for the country's overall development. In Nepal, women have equal access to opportunities in the social, economic, political, and cultural sectors as well as Nepal's economic development. The present study reveals that the Gandaki province's legislators have played a crucial role in the overall development of this province, and just like the women legislators in the other seven provinces, they empower themselves and institutionalize women's rights by upholding democratic values and norms.

The influence of gerrymandering on abortion policy in the United States

Background: When the U.S. Supreme Court in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization (2022) overruled a five-decade old precedent and gave states the unfettered power to regulate or ban abortion, it did so while proclaiming the decision would return power over the issue to the people, and that women specifically were not without political influence to shape policies. Nowhere amid such language about the power of the people does the Court decision acknowledge the capacity for biased legislative district maps (i.e., gerrymandering) to influence resulting policies. Methods: Here I consider the state-level relationship between gerrymandering and abortion policy using logistic regression that controls for several variables including statewide public opinion, religion, and the number of women legislators. Data on abortion rules are derived from the Guttmacher Institute’s database as of January 1, 2023. Data on gerrymandering scores for each legislative map are derived from the Campaign Legal Center. Results: I find that states with a pro-Republican gerrymander were considerably more likely to impose a pre-viability abortion ban in 2023. Across the 50 states, the logistic regression results suggest an increase in the odds of an abortion ban by more than 40 times as a result of a pro-Republican legislative map gerrymander. Notably, a pre-viability abortion ban is in place in nine of the 10 states where public opinion favors abortion rights but where the legislative map is biased toward Republicans. Conclusions: The influence of mapmakers over the resulting policy clouds the Court’s sanguine assertions of the public’s influence and women’s political agency over this issue.

Legislators' Emotional Engagement with Women's Issues: Gendered Patterns of Vocal Pitch in the German Bundestag

Abstract Through an innovative analysis of audio recordings of plenary speeches, Dietrich, Hayes, and O'Brien (2019) find that women in the U.S. House of Representatives speak with greater emotional intensity about women than other issues. With vocal pitch as a new measure of personal issue commitment, the finding suggests that women legislators' efforts to work on behalf of women result from intrinsic motivation. I ask whether the same is true in an alternative parliamentary setting, the German Bundestag, where personal preferences play a very different role due to strict party discipline. The answer is yes. Analyzing audio and text data from more than 30,000 speeches in the Bundestag between 2011 and 2020, I find that women in the Bundestag address women more frequently and with greater emotional intensity than men. The results suggest that women legislators are more emotionally invested in women-related issues than men.

REPRESENTASI PEREMPUAN DI POLITIK

The political representation of women sticks out in the midst of domination and hegemony of patriarchal culture in various dimensions of life, especially in the political space. There is a kind of socio-political obstacle that forces women to double their capital and power, which must be spent more heavily and complicated than men when they enter politics. This study wants to see how far the role of women legislators in the NTT Provincial DPRD for the 2019-2024 period is in carrying Political parties and are in accordance with the interests of the categorization of women members of the legislature. The strategy for dividing positions for women is also quite diverse. Women have political hopes that are placed on increasing access power and opening up political opportunities to occupy strategic positions such as important positions or involvement in the decision-making process in political parties. The hope for increasing access is related to increasing the capacity of individual women and youth in political parties. Increasing women's access to strategic positions in political parties. This political hope emphasizes the importance of women and youth to have economic, social and political capacities. Economic capacity relates to financial resources, social capacity refers to social relations and networks, and political capacity relates to political knowledge and skills

RECLAIMING POLITICAL AND RELIGIOUS AUTHORITY: A CRITICAL STUDY OF WOMEN'S PARTICIPATION IN MAINSTREAM POLITICS IN PAKISTAN

Women account for over half of the global population, yet women are politically marginalized and underrepresented in third-world countries. Long-standing conventional structural and socio-economic difficulties hurt their mobility, socialization, political and electoral engagement, and participation in decision-making forums. They cannot make significant changes to socio-political trends because of their limited effectiveness. Their political emancipation was weakened and domesticated by Pakistan's traditional patriarchal mentality and the emergence of Islamic extremism. Although women in Pakistan have overcome the obstacles above and increased their representation in Parliament, they still have a bit of a way to go before actively participating in the decision-making process. Over time, there has been a growing realization that the only way to achieve a gender-balanced society that addresses women's issues is to encourage greater participation of women in governance structures. There are significant differences in women's political participation in diverse parts of the globe. This study examines the reasons for the increase in the number of women in legislatures in other parts of the world, focusing on South Asia and presenting the case of Pakistan. This study focuses on the political participation of Pakistani women. The Pakistani Parliament in 2002 now shows the highest level of feminine representation in the country’s history. The study examines how Pakistani women benefit from their numerical superiority in Parliament, whether women are "agents of change" or "agents of change," and whether these alterations are driven by women or triggered by external factors. This study examines the challenges women face in Pakistan in overcoming political marginalization and recommends creating a more comprehensive and representative civilization.

Political empowerment of women and Human Development Index in the States of Mexico

Based on the critical mass theory, this article analyzes the effect of political empowerment of women in legislatures and mayoralties of the federal states of Mexico over the Sub-national Human Development Index [SHDI]. Using a balanced panel data composed by 352 observations during the 2010-2020 period, the results show that the critical mass of 30% of women in State legislatures increases health and education sub-indexes. Similarly, the critical mass of 20% of women as majors has a favorable impact on the SHDI and their standard of living and education components. These results highlight that political empowerment of women enhance economic and social development in the context of an emerging country and make a call to legislators in gender issues