Women In Politics Research Articles

Patriarchal politics and women representation in governance in Nigeria, 1999-2023

In some parts of Africa, discriminatory laws and policies restrict women's access to certain occupations and limit their property ownership rights. This limits women's political and economic participation, decreases their income-earning potential, and perpetuates gender inequality, hindering economic growth and poverty reduction. Nigeria as a post-colonial state adopted a democratic system based on non-gender discrimination in political participation, which was modelled after the British parliamentary democratic system. However, in Nigeria, the colonial legacy of marginalization of women in politics was intensified at independence in 1960 based on the patriarchal traditional norms of colonial Nigerian society of male dominance. This inequality is particularly problematic, as it contributes to a cycle of poverty and discrimination that disproportionately affects women and their economic status and well-being. Therefore, this paper intends to unravel how gender disproportionate representation in power structures leads to the marginalization of women in governance in Nigeria. The paper was anchored on structural-functional theory as its theoretical framework of analysis. The paper depended on the documentary method of data generation, using secondary sources. Content analysis was employed for the analysis of data generated from documents. This study found that gender disproportionate representation in power structures skewed in favour of the male gender accounted for the marginalization of women in governance in Nigeria. The recommendation here is that a system of gender quotas should be statutorily instituted for public service appointments, leading to a just and equitable society for all in Nigeria.

The Political Representation of Women Politicians from Mass-Based Islamic Parties in Palembang City Regarding the Low Representation of Women in Legislative Bodies (A Study on the PAN and PKS Parties in Palembang City)

The background of this research provides an in-depth understanding of the representation of female politicians from Islamic mass-based parties in Palembang, highlighting the ongoing issue of insufficient female representation. Despite the implementation of a 30% quota, women's representation in parliament does not reach this threshold due to various obstacles to political participation. This research specifically examines the representation of female politicians in the PAN and PKS parties in Palembang to understand both the presence of female politicians in the city and the central-level policies supporting women in the region. In Palembang, the PAN party allocates a 38% quota for female politicians, while the PKS party allocates a 30% quota. This study employs descriptive qualitative methods and was conducted in Palembang. Data were collected through in-depth interviews using purposive sampling techniques. Primary data sources include interviews, while secondary data sources include literature reviews. The findings reveal that in the PAN party, women have a 38% quota, supported by an organization called National Mandate Women (PUAN) that handles recruitment. In the PKS party, the women's quota is 30%, with recruitment conducted through various channels, including assessments of cadres' abilities and expertise. The 2019 elections showed a shift, with women becoming more independent in their political decisions, previously influenced by men's political preferences.

Facework display of a political leader: Linguo-rhetoric approach (the case study of Julia Gillard's speech on misogyny)

This article focuses on the cognitive rhetoric features of the politician's facework that incorporate face threatening acts, communicative strategies, and discursive functions in a political speech. The data were taken from the speech on misogyny delivered in 2012 by the 27th Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard. Throughout the article we disclose the interaction of the politician's face, politeness, and power in the institutional discourse. Julia Gillard does her facework actively engaged into the misogyny argument which provides a persuasive ground to confront the opponent's face through reinforced employment of both positive and negative face threatening acts. The findings suggest that doing facework through rhetorical practices Gillard signals her identity in three faces: a political leader, a female politician and her individual social self-image of a woman and daughter. Gillard's face claims are closely bound with her sense of sociality rights and obligations. This entails her relational and collective self-construal prevail over her individual face. The symbolic power obliges Gillard to protect her collective self-credibility and makes the ground for undermining the self-worth of the opponent in a rather straightforward manner. The politeness Gillard exercises is mainly prescribed by the institutional goal and status which directly impact the use of the linguistic means employed by the politician.

Working Mothers and Political Daughters: Intergenerational Dynamics of Women's Political Officeholding

Abstract We study a new driving factor of women's inclusion in politics: the economic empowerment of their mothers. We evaluate Swedish microdata on politicians and their parents over fifty years. The results demonstrate a strong intergenerational dynamic from mothers to daughters. Female politicians come from households where their mother is more likely to be employed, earns more in the labour market, and earns a larger share of household earnings. This pattern was strong among parliamentarians in the 1970s and 1980s when female numerical representation increased rapidly in Sweden but is not present in national politics after the introduction of gender quotas in the early 1990s or in local politics.

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.

The Way She Moves: Political Repositioning and Gender Stereotypes

Abstract Research on policy shifts has found that repositioning can be costly as it affects candidates’ perceived honesty, reliability, and competence. It remains unclear, however, whether a politician’s gender affects perceptions of repositioning. Research on gender stereotypes has found that while male politicians are viewed as more competent, decisive, and displaying strong leadership, female politicians are believed to be more honest. Applying expectancy-violation theory, I test the hypothesis that the reputational cost of repositioning is more pronounced for female politicians in a preregistered survey experiment fielded on a large convenience sample in Flanders, Belgium (n = 6,957). I find that while frequent repositioning is evaluated negatively, the negative effect of repositioning is not more pronounced for female candidates than for male candidates on most outcome measures.

The cost of politics: how money acts as a barrier for women in politics in the Caribbean

ABSTRACT This article explores the barriers to women’s political representation, focusing on financial challenges associated with political campaigns. It contributes to the emerging body of research on the gendered effects of money in politics, particularly in the Global South, by documenting the financial challenges faced by women political candidates in the Anglophone Caribbean. Data was collected through elite interviews with women politicians in Barbados, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago. The women were asked, among other things, to i) identify the barriers to women’s political representation and ii) recount their experiences while seeking to enter politics. Financial constraints emerged as a critical barrier to women’s political entry and participation. Although some women manage to enter the political arena and win elections, they nonetheless find the costs associated with politics burdensome and a barrier to increasing political representation for women. We conclude that, like their counterparts elsewhere, the financial demands of engaging in politics are exorbitant for women in politics in the Anglo-Caribbean due to their general exclusion from influential funding networks predominantly controlled by the “old boys’ club”; reliance on personal resources; balancing childcare and other gendered roles with demanding fundraising activities; and navigating the system of political patronage. This burden was incredibly challenging for “political neophytes” or women newcomers.

Policymakers’ Abortion Preferences: Understanding the Intersection of Gender and Wealth

When are politicians willing to liberalize abortion laws? While restricted access to legal abor- tion affects millions of women around the world, there is relatively little understanding of the factors shaping the views of politicians who craft or uphold such restrictive laws. This study examines the impact of a public health framing commonly employed by activists to persuade politicians to reform abortion laws. We provide evidence that politicians’ preferences toward abortion reforms are shaped by the intersection of gender and wealth. Drawing on a survey experiment conducted among more than 600 politicians in Zambia, we show that only women politicians from less wealthy backgrounds are more likely to support policy liberalization after being exposed to a public health framing. These findings underscore how economic inequal- ities can affect the substantive representation of women’s interests and provide a baseline for further research on the use of framing strategies in other developing country contexts.

Women in Politics - A comparative Analysis of Gender Quotas in Different Countries

In order to evaluate the efficacy of gender quotas in boosting women's representation and involvement in politics, this research paper compares the implementation and results of these policies in a number of different nations. Through an analysis of the legal structures, cultural backgrounds, and implementation strategies supporting gender quotas across a range of nations, this research aims to comprehend the disparities in the rates of success in attaining gender parity in political institutions. The study assesses the effects of various quota types (legislated vs. voluntary party quotas) and the influence of both internal and foreign forces on these policies using qualitative and quantitative analysis. Furthermore, the research delves into the opposition and criticism directed towards gender quotas, in addition to their enduring consequences on the political terrain.

Modern History and Politics: Women's Political Representation in Iran and Turkey: Demanding a Seat at the Table, by Mona Tajali

Women's Political Representation in Iran and Turkey: Demanding a Seat at the Table, by Mona Tajali. Edinburgh: Edin burgh University Press, 2022. 352 pages. $110 cloth, open access e-book.

Women in Politics and the Public Sphere: Munich 1918/1919

Women have never been passive bystanders to the history being made around them and they have always found ways to contribute to shaping their world. Munich in 1918/1919 provides a useful site to examine women's experiences and roles due to the long-standing involvement of women in the peace movement and welfare work, as well as the foundation of the Bavarian Soviet Republic after the First World War. However, Munich in the early years of the Weimar Republic is most commonly associated with Adolf Hitler's Beer Hall Putsch in 1923, an attempt by right-wing men to seize political power. Moreover, the 1918 revolution is also often told through the lens of male political figures. As a result, politics in the early twentieth century is easy to view as a male-dominated affair with women merely experiencing the effects of male political power. This era, particularly from the perspective of Munich, also becomes viewed through the lens of the rise of fascism, which obscures and distorts the alternative political visions many women held and worked towards. This article centres on women's experiences and roles in politics and the public sphere in revolutionary Munich to ask what opportunities the revolution and its immediate aftermath presented for women and how they were able to influence political decision-making despite huge barriers. Through an understanding of how their world was gendered, their role as political agents comes to the fore.

Tweeting from fear: Gender violence against feminists on Twitter during COVID-191

The research addresses how gender violence against feminists on Twitter during COVID-19 is produced. Mainly focused in the Catalan cultural context, 462,281 attacks on Twitter were analysed, using virtual ethnography and content analysis. We also conducted semi-structured interviews with key agents. This enabled to (1) analyse the profiles of feminists subjected to attacks and those who attack them, (2) identify the characteristics of this violence: how it appears, to which subjects it refers and what the trigger is, (3) identify which axes of inequality intersect in the attacks. The results determine that there are specific typologies of aggressors, that there is a correlation between the political–social agenda and the attacks, essentially on female politicians and journalists and that they tend to happen collectively as personal aggressions that get worse if they intersect with racial issues, for example.

Political Violence Directed to Female Politicians in SADC

Political Violence Directed to Female Politicians in SADC

WOMEN IN REPRESENTATIVE BODIES OF POWER IN 2017-2021: A CROSS-NATIONAL ANALYSIS

The paper analyzes similarities and differences in the social portrait of female politicians in the countries of Western, Eastern Europe and North America (Great Britain, Germany, Ireland, Poland, Russia, and USA), as well as the correlation between the state specifics of socio-economic and political spheres and the level of women's representation in politics. A cross-national study of the trajectories of women entering politics was implemented on the basis of the database “Women in representative bodies of power, political parties and activism, 2017-2021” prepared by the research team. The sections of the database help in covering the gender agenda of political parties, the presence or absence of gender quotas at the intra-party or state levels, the representation of women in party bodies and electoral lists for 2017-2021. They also help in providing a detailed portrait of female deputies. Based on the concept of descriptive and substantive representation, the authors identify the key characteristics of the portrait of a female parliamentarian in the selected countries and conclude that parties, in particular their regional branches or youth organizations, are the main channel for recruiting professional female politicians. Activism, despite its visibility in the media, becomes a channel for promotion to parliament for only one in five female parliamentarians in the selected countries. Based on the application of correlation analysis, an assumption is formulated, which needs to be confirmed on a larger sample, that intra-party decisions on gender quotas, rather than state ones, play a more significant role in increasing the representation of women in the party’s faction.

Women in politics: examining their impact on policy development — A comprehensive review

The representation of women in political offices has expanded in every country over the last few decades. Commencing with a historical overview, this review underscores the persistent obstacles and cultural constraints that have hindered women's political engagement. The primary focus is on identifying and dissecting impediments such as ingrained gender prejudices, unequal access to education, and sociocultural constraints. This comprehensive examination explores the crucial role of women in politics and their profound impact on policy formulation. Global attention has increased on gender equity and women's political representation, emphasizing the importance of understanding how women's participation in political decision-making processes influences policy outcomes. The involvement of women in politics, particularly in poorer countries where health and education are priority sectors, has led to improvements in the delivery of public services. The review delves into the political empowerment of women, highlighting the positive social change and role modeling that women in politics can provide in their local areas. Recent studies suggest that the makeup of public expenditure may not necessarily reflect the impact of female representation on legislative debates and specific policy decisions. Female participation has enhanced institutional quality by reducing corruption and yielding benefits for those in positions of responsibility. The review advocates for greater gender diversity in political decision-making by examining obstacles, proposing solutions, and emphasizing the ongoing need for research and advocacy to support and promote the invaluable contributions of women to global policy development.

Do Women Politicians Know More about Women’s Policy Preferences? Evidence from Canada

Abstract This study draws together theories of women’s substantive representation and research on politicians’ knowledge of constituent preferences. We ask whether politicians are better at predicting their constituents’ policy preferences when they share the same gender. In doing so, we contribute to knowledge about the mechanisms underlying substantive representation. Using original surveys of 3,750 Canadians and 867 elected politicians, we test whether politicians correctly perceive gender gaps in their constituents’ policy preferences and whether women politicians are better at correctly identifying the policy preferences of women constituents. Contrary to expectations from previous research, we do not find elected women to be better at predicting the preferences of women constituents. Instead, we find that all politicians — regardless of their gender — perform better when predicting women’s policy preferences and worse when predicting men’s preferences. The gender of the constituent matters more than the gender of the politician.

Ticking Two Boxes, Fighting Two Battles: Intersectional Experiences of Ethnic Minority Women Councillors in UK Local Government

Abstract When the analytical lens of intersectionality was first applied to descriptive representation, it documented the increased level of disadvantage for those belonging to more than one underrepresented group. Although ethnic minority women have been slow to benefit from drives to boost ethnic minority or women’s representation, increasingly, political parties seeking to diversify see them as “ticking two boxes,” resulting in a new positive story of relative representational success in many countries and legislatures. However, we argue that the two narratives coexist: intersectional group membership mars the experience of ethnic minority women politicians despite their increased electoral success. Conceptualizing intersectional disadvantage beyond examining differential outcomes, we focus instead on how the mechanisms leading to those outcomes are experienced by ethnic minority women local councillors, from their selection to their working conditions and extra representative burdens. Using 85 interviews with ethnic minority women and men UK local councillors, we demonstrate how gender and racial inequalities leave ethnic minority women fighting two (or more) battles.

Background, Recruitment, and Perceived Factors for Winning: A Qualitative Inquiry into the Perspectives of Local Women Politicians (LWPs) in Northern Mindanao, Philippines

Despite being globally acknowledged as one of the more gender-equal societies, the Philippines faces persistent challenges in achieving gender parity, especially in political representation, which necessitates a deeper investigation into women's political participation at the local level. This study delves into the nuanced dynamics of local women politicians (LWPs), examining their political background, recruitment into politics, and perceived factors for electoral success. Utilizing a phenomenological research design, the study aims to articulate and comprehend the essence of LWPs' lived experiences. Grounded in Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), the methodological framework facilitates a nuanced understanding of individual and societal realms. Six LWPs from Bukidnon, Northern Mindanao, participated in the study to comprehensively explore commonalities and distinctions in their political experiences. The findings revealed five themes of LWPs' political background: apolitical origins, entry into politics during young adulthood, involvement in philanthropy, membership in political families, and substantial political experience. The political recruitment of LWPs is revealed through the support of the church and the influence of political families. Additionally, LWPs' perceived factors for winning in electoral politics encompass three key themes: membership in a political family, philanthropic endeavors, and the prevalence of money politics. The lived experiences of LWPs resonate with prior research on "kinship politics" in the Philippines, illustrating how political power is bequeathed, inherited, and cycled within prominent political clans. This study contributes to the ongoing discourse on women's political participation by offering a comprehensive and nuanced exploration of the multifaceted factors influencing their engagement in local politics.

Commodified State Feminism: The Entanglements of Feminist Commodity Activism and Feminist Politics in a Nordic Welfare State

AbstractThis article analyzes the entanglements of feminist commodity activism and state feminism. Feminist commodity activism refers to consumption and commodified communication as modes of feminist political participation. Earlier research on these topics has focused on the business sector and on media and popular culture, largely sidelining the state as a site of feminism. This article addresses the increasingly close relations between consumerism and state politics and asks how feminist commodity activism interacts with state feminism. It draws on two empirical cases in the Nordic welfare state of Finland. The first is Uhana Design, a small-scale fashion business, and its Girl Gang campaign that leans on state feminism. The second is Finland's former leading female politicians’ engagements with feminist fashion. By analyzing these cases via three theoretical lenses, business, popular, and state feminism, this article develops the notion of commodified state feminism, paying attention to economic, cultural, and political dimensions of feminist commodity activism and state feminism. It also argues that commodified state feminism is emblematic of the current political context, in which the boundaries between market and politics have become blurred.

Local political representation as a pathway to power: A natural experiment in India

AbstractWhat drives the career advancement of female politicians in opaque selection environments where party activists hold sway? I argue that women's higher presence in local politics not only improves party elite responsiveness to greater talent supply (top‐down mechanism) but also expands women's capacity to organize grassroots activist networks to influence party‐nomination decisions (bottom‐up mechanism). Using the natural experiment of gender quotas in Delhi, which cause as‐if‐random variation in the number of local reserved seats within state constituencies, I estimate a novel effect of gender quotas. In state constituencies with women's higher presence in local politics, local female politicians are more likely to be promoted, and senior female politicians are more likely to get renominated. Qualitative evidence shows how women leverage grassroots networks and forge informal connections across party hierarchies. The findings emphasize the pivotal role of women's strategic political networks and grassroots organizing in shaping their political careers.