Women's Political Participation Research Articles

Do gender quotas increase political knowledge?

AbstractDo gender quotas increase political knowledge? While some studies suggest that quotas can positively impact women's political engagement and participation, others find null or negative effects. This paper focuses on Western Europe and argues that the implementation of quotas serves as an attention and consciousness‐raising event, potentially enhancing awareness of the political sphere. To investigate this, I propose a novel research design that capitalizes on the (quasi) exogenous shock resulting from the introduction of gender quotas. By influencing symbolic representation, quotas may enhance women's sense of empowerment, equality and willingness to engage in politics. Furthermore, the impact is expected to be more pronounced among younger women due to the heightened political socialization experienced during adolescence. Thus, the institutional change brought about by quotas is anticipated to particularly boost political knowledge among (younger) women and subsequently narrow the gender gap. To examine this hypothesis, I analyse data from 1992 to 2018 from 12 countries, of which six implemented gender quotas. Using a hierarchical Bayesian model, I assess respondents' answers to knowledge questions. The findings indicate that the introduction of gender quotas in parliamentary systems has a positive effect on reducing the gender gap in political knowledge among younger individuals, while the effects are statistically insignificant for older citizens.

Media representation of members of parliament in Egypt: A reality of gender imbalance

AbstractThis study joins recent studies that explore the meanings of the political representation of women resulting from a gender quota, through examination of their media representation. Drawing on studies on gendered mediation and women's political representation and using a content analysis method, we examine the quantity and the quality of gender media representation of Egyptian members of parliament. The findings show a nuanced picture in which the media simultaneously propagates a conservative perspective alongside progressive and egalitarian ones. Female representatives receive less media coverage and are associated with feminine topics in a way that reproduces the gender hierarchical masculine/feminine and private/public distinction within the political sphere. Nevertheless, this biased coverage coexists with an empowering representation whereby women are more heard than seen and associated with core parliamentary activities. We conclude by addressing the potential and limits of this representation, which may alter perceptions regarding women's political participation under authoritarianism.

Which route to elite turnover leads to women's political empowerment in developing countries?

AbstractIt's commonly accepted that policymakers should promote women's inclusion for a more inclusive society. Drawing from the literature on democratic and non‐democratic routes of elite turnover, this study analyses the effects of elite turnover on women's political empowerment (WPE) by comparing two main routes: political alternation and internal conflict. We measure WPE by using women's political empowerment index (WPEI) from the varieties of democracy database. Based on a large sample of 128 developing countries over the period 1980–2021, the ordinary least square fixed effect and Driscoll‐Kraay fixed effects estimations show that elite turnover has a positive and statistically significant impact on WPE. Similar evidence is found when decomposing the WPEI in its sub‐indices notably women's political participation, civil society participation, and women's civil liberties sub‐indices. This result is also supported by the view that elite turnover increases education, as well as the institutional environment which therefore enables WPE. These results are robust to alternative estimation techniques including the system generalized method of moments and two‐stage least squares (GMM and IV 2SLS). Furthermore, the results remain unchanged when considering the majority of the geographical locations of our sample (it is insignificant for the MENA region) and the role of decentraliszation.

Women's Political Participation in South Waziristan: A Community-Based Survey

This study investigates the impact of political reforms on women's political participation in South Waziristan, Pakistan. The sample consisted of 100 females aged 18 to 45 from the region. The survey was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire, and the Statistical Package (SPSS) was used for the data analysis. The results show a comprehensive knowledge of the current state of political awareness and participation among women in the region, particularly in the context of the 18th Amendment. The study outcome showed significant knowledge about the Amendment's results, which shows a limited impact on women. The majority of respondents (64%) suggested that education initiatives should be implemented to facilitate greater involvement of women in politics. The study focuses on the fact that despite political reforms such as the 18th Amendment, women's political participation in South Waziristan remains limited. This study targeted educational initiatives and community-based efforts to improve political awareness and involvement among women in the region.

Strategi Public Relations Partai Keadilan Sejahtera (PKS) untuk Meningkatkan Partisipasi Politik Perempuan: Studi Kasus Partai Keadilan Sejahtera (PKS) Kabupaten Semarang

Some groups, particularly those rooted in conservative Islamic interpretations, argue that Islam does not recognize gender equality in political practice. However, the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), as an Islamic-oriented party, holds a different view. The issue in this research is the lack of awareness and knowledge about women's roles in politics. Many women may not fully understand the importance of their involvement in politics or know how to participate effectively. To address this, PKS needs to launch an educational campaign aimed at increasing understanding of women's political rights and ways to participate. This research aims to identify and outline the Public Relations strategies employed by the Prosperous Justice Party in Semarang Regency to enhance women's participation and create an inclusive society. The research uses a qualitative method. Data collection techniques in this study include interviews, observations, and documentation. Data analysis techniques consist of data reduction, data presentation, and conclusion drawing. Data validity reflects how accurate and precise the data obtained from research subjects are compared to the data revealed by the researcher. The research findings show that the public relations strategies implemented by PKS in Semarang Regency—namely strategy of publicity, strategy of persuasion, strategy of argumentation, and strategy of image—are effective in increasing women's political participation. PKS has successfully carried out effective educational campaigns through seminars, workshops, and social media to raise awareness and knowledge among women about their political roles, positively impacting increased participation. PKS has addressed the issue of limited information reach by utilizing various communication channels, including local and digital media, and establishing partnerships with community leaders, thereby broadening the dissemination and accessibility of information regarding political opportunities for women. These strategies significantly enhanced women's political engagement in Semarang Regency.

Women's political participation in the United States after women's suffrage: women's representation in the legislature of the house of representatives and the senate

Historically, women have confronted formidable barriers to political participation, entrenched by patriarchal norms. Despite the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment in the United States, which granted women voting rights, substantive representation remains elusive. This study investigates the persistent gender gap in political representation, focusing on the 113th congressional elections. Employing liberal feminist theory and democratic principles, it aims to elucidate the urgency of addressing women's underrepresentation in legislative bodies. Through literature review and quantitative analysis of electoral data, this research seeks to uncover the impact of electoral systems on women's political engagement. Results reveal stark contrasts between countries like the US and Rwanda, emphasizing the critical role of electoral mechanisms in fostering gender parity. By illuminating these disparities, this study underscores the imperative for policy interventions to ensure equitable political participation for women, thereby advancing democratic ideals and societal progress.

Disparitas Sosial, Komunikasi Politik dan Partisipasi Politik Gender

The aim of this research is to analyze and offer strategies to increase women's political participation in Islamic societies. The benefit of this research is to increase awareness in Islamic communities about the importance of gender equality in participating in politics and to increase women's political participation in Islamic communities. The theory used in this research is the social construction theory of gender. This research uses descriptive qualitative methods to analyze data related to gender inequality in political participation in Islamic communities. Data was collected through interviews with several informants who are experienced in Islamic politics and society. The research results show that gender inequality in political participation in Islamic communities is visible in several aspects. First, women are still given less opportunities to participate in the political decision-making process. Second, women still experience discrimination in accessing information and resources needed for political participation. Third, women still experience stigma and stereotypes that prevent them from participating in politics. The suggestions and recommendations in this research, such as increasing awareness, developing resources, eliminating stigma and stereotypes, and developing partnerships, are expected to help overcome gender inequality in political participation in Islamic communities.

Banking concentration, information sharing and women's political empowerment in developing countries

PurposeThis article analyses the effect of bank concentration on women's political empowerment in 80 developing countries over the period 2004–2020.Design/methodology/approachBanking concentration (BC) is measured by the assets held by the three largest commercial banks as a percentage of total commercial bank assets in a country. We use several indices to measure political empowerment, namely: the political empowerment index, composed of three indices (i.e. the women's civil liberties index, the women's participation in civil society index and the women's political participation index). The empirical evidence is based on the Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) and Fixed Effects (FE) techniques.FindingsThe following findings are established. Banking concentration reduces women's political empowerment. Furthermore, information sharing offices (i.e. public credit registries and private credit bureaus) mitigate the negative effect of bank concentration on women’s political empowerment. Information sharing thresholds that are needed to completely dampen the negative effect of bank concentration on women’s political empowerment are provided. Policy implications are discussed, notably: (1) that governments in developing countries increase competition by easing barriers to entry for potential banks, to facilitate the transition from confiscatory concentration to distributive concentration favorable to all stakeholders; and (2) information sharing offices should be consolidated beyond the established thresholds in order to completely crowd-out the unfavorable effect of bank concentration of women’s political empowerment.Originality/valueThe paper provides new empirical evidence that helps to advance the debate on the effects of banking concentration and information sharing in the banking sector on women's political empowerment in developing countries.

Determinants of women’s labor participation rate: Evidence in ASEAN

Attention to women's involvement in the workforce is increasing in social and economic development, particularly in developing countries such as those in ASEAN. However, data indicates that despite progress, the Gender Inequality Index (GII) remains high in ASEAN countries. This condition underscores the importance of focusing specifically on women's empowerment, reproductive health, and participation in the labor market. This research analyzes the influence of wages, women's involvement in parliament, women's life expectancy, fertility rates, and maternal mortality rates on women's labor participation rates in ASEAN. Data for this research was acquired from the World Bank. The study is quantitative, utilizing panel data regression analysis from 2011-2022, covering 11 ASEAN countries, using the Random Effects Model (REM) approach. The research findings indicate that wage, women's life expectancy, fertility rate, and maternal mortality rate variables significantly influence women's labor participation rates in ASEAN from 2011-2022, while women's involvement in parliament does not significantly affect women's labor participation rates. Therefore, ASEAN countries' governments should increase women's wages and healthcare access, promote family planning, support gender equality in education and employment, and enhance women's political participation.

Voices Unveiled: Navigating Intersectionality in the Political Landscape of Chinese Women in Peninsular Malaysia

This study explores the factors influencing Chinese women's involvement in politics in Peninsular Malaysia, using qualitative interviews with ten participants selected via purposive sampling. Key informants include female political representatives, male politicians, academics and Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) activists. The research applies intersectionality theory to analyze how internal and external agents of political socialization and various challenges shape women's political engagement and culture. Internal socialization agents encompass education, economic status, family background, religion, ethnicity, and gender. External agents include Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), political parties, and community networks. The study identifies multiple challenges that Chinese women face, such as gender competition, cronyism, low political interest, time management conflicts, racial sentiments, sexist remarks, male dominance, competition from political opponents, and ideological barriers. These agents and challenges are intertwined and impact Chinese women's political culture, which, in turn, influences their empowerment in political, economic, and social spheres. The intersectionality framework reveals how overlapping social identities and systemic barriers shape their political experiences and efforts towards empowerment. This study provides insights into the complex dynamics affecting Chinese women's political participation and highlights the need for comprehensive strategies to enhance their roles in politics and broader societal contexts.

Women's Political Participation in District Dir Lower: An Analysis of Local Government Election-2022

Several things have influenced the political participation of females in the Local Government Elections 2022 in district Dir Lower, KPK, Pakistan. Female political participation was very poor as compared to men in the district. Although, after the introduction of the Elections Act, of 2017, the participation of females has been raised in elections the role of the ECP was still not effective despite the fact that various administrative and legislative powers were vested in it. As a consequence of this study, multifarious factors were uncovered due to which female political participation was very low including, meager resources, cultural issues, administrative factors, and absence of political consciousness, etc. To overcome the fundamental issues faced by females regarding political participation the results of the study urge for more advocacy and the making of policies at both national and provincial levels.

Gender and the public realm in Nigeria: Hannah Arendt‘s perspective

Hannah Arendt, renowned for her insights into political philosophy, particularly in "The Human Condition" and "On Revolution", delineates the dichotomy between the public and private realms. In her analysis, the public sphere represents a space of political agency and rational discourse, crucial for the realization of human freedom and equality. Conversely, the private realm, characterized by necessity and domesticity, traditionally excludes women from active participation in public affairs. This study explores Arendt's theories to analyze gender exclusion in Nigeria's public realm. Historically, Nigerian women have faced systemic marginalization, confined to the private sphere, hindering their political participation. This research aims to evaluate women's representation in Nigerian politics, the impact of colonial and post-colonial policies, and the role of patriarchal structures. Integrating Arendt's framework with gender theory and social exclusion, the study underscores the need for constitutional amendments and cultural shifts to enhance women's political agency. This research proposes multifaceted solutions. These include legislative reforms to promote gender equality, educational initiatives to empower women politically, and cultural shifts to challenge stereotypes and biases against women in leadership roles. Such interventions are crucial for dismantling existing barriers and fostering a more inclusive public sphere where women's voices are heard and their contributions are valued. This research uniquely applies Arendt’s political theory to the contemporary issue of gender exclusion in Nigerian politics, providing a comprehensive analysis that links historical, cultural, and structural factors. It offers actionable recommendations to improve women's political representation and participation, fostering women's education, political advocacy, and cultural change to achieve a more egalitarian society.

The Role of Women in Political Participation in Cambodia: A Case Study of Svay Rieng Province

The government considers women as the backbone of Cambodia's economy and society. Despite a good sign, the female parliamentary representation in Svay Rieng fluctuated in the last three mandates (60% in 2008 and 2013, 80% in 2018, and 60% in 2023). The study aims to investigate the “socioeconomic”, “traditional-cultural”, “family”, and “personal” factors affecting gender roles in political involvement in Svay Rieng province, to assess perceptions and attitudes regarding women's political engagement. A mixed-methods approach was utilized, administering surveys to 119 participants and semi-structured interviews with 8 women actively participating in politics and leadership roles, using snowball sampling. The findings emphasize 1) Family-factors (domestic responsibilities, violence, and lack of support) hinder women's political participation the most, 2) Personal factors: limited education and self-confidence, 3) Socio-economic obstacles (the social devaluation of women, violence against women, limited outreach initiatives, and the impact of economic crises), and 4) Traditional customs, cultural norms including prescribed gender roles further contribute to the challenges faced by women in politics. Despite these obstacles, the study identifies positive perceptions and attitudes towards women's political participation. Participants underlined the need to empower women at both the national and sub-national levels, as well as fostering capacity development and extending possibilities. The recommendations include adopting gender equality legislation, increasing awareness, improving capacity-building programs, providing supportive infrastructure, engaging male allies, promoting cooperation, and assuring long-term commitment. A future study should look at additional elements that may impact women's political engagement, as well as evaluate the efficiency of existing policies for empowering women in Svay Rieng.

A model-based boosting approach to risk factors for physical intimate partner violence against women and girls in Mexico

The goal of this study was to identify and describe the extent to which a comprehensive set of risk factors from the ecological model are associated with physical intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization in Mexico. To achieve this goal, a structured additive probit model is applied to a dataset of 35,000 observations and 42 theoretical correlates from 10 data sources. Due to the model's high dimensionality, the boosting algorithm is used for estimating and simultaneously performing variable selection and model choice. The findings indicate that age at sexual initiation and marriage, sexual and professional autonomy, social connectedness, household overcrowding, housework division, women's political participation, and geographical space are associated with physical IPV. The findings provide evidence of risk factors that were previously unknown in Mexico or were solely based on theoretical grounds without empirical testing. Specifically, this paper makes three key contributions. First, by examining the individual and relationship levels, it was possible to identify high-risk population subgroups that are often overlooked, such as women who experienced sexual initiation during childhood and women living in overcrowded families. Second, the inclusion of community factors enabled the identification of the importance of promoting women's political participation. Finally, the introduction of several emerging indicators allowed to examine the experiences faced by women in various aspects of life, such as decision-making power, social networks, and the division of housework.

Slave trades, kinship structures and women's political participation in Africa

AbstractWe study whether present‐day women's political participation in sub‐Saharan Africa is associated to the temporary gender ratio imbalances caused by the transatlantic and Indian Ocean slave trades, taking into account pre‐existing gender norms influenced by kinship structures. To study the interrelatedness between historical exposure to the slave trades, patrilineality and their association to contemporary women's political participation, we use individual‐level data for 35,595 women from 28 sub‐Saharan African countries from three rounds of Afrobarometer surveys, georeferenced to historical ethnic region kinship and slave trade data. Our findings suggest that a woman's ethnic region historical exposure to the transatlantic slave trade is associated with an increase in her likelihood to vote today, however, only in non‐patrilineal ethnic regions. This effect is mitigated in patrilineal ethnic regions, where women have less decision‐making power. This paper contributes to the literature on the contemporary sub‐national effects of the slave trades and the historical causes of gender gaps in political participation.

Women's Political Empowerment in Iraq After 2003

The degree of human development in any society is measured by the extent to which women participate in political life, and Iraqi women, together with many third-world countries, have suffered a real crisis concerning women's participation in the country's political life, and many factors have been played in reducing the share and size of women's participation in political life, including the growing role of the military in political life and the militarization of society during the eight-year war and subsequent events that led to the women's dissociation and reduction of their role. The role was only after women were granted no-election women share in Iraq's new constitution after 2003. Women's political participation is not only about obtaining their political rights but also about their political rights in the legitimacy of freely expressing their ideas within the framework of the institutions and groups of society and participating in political decision-making and practice. Therefore, women's political skills must be expanded by improving educational opportunities, leadership courses, and exchange programs, and removing institutional and legal barriers limiting Iraqi women's political participation.

The nonlinear road to happiness: Making sense of ESGD impacts on well-being

This study examines the heterogeneous impact of environmental, social, governance, and digital (ESGD) factors on subjective well-being across 86 countries from 2005 to 2019, using Method of Moments Quantile Regression. The results reveal complex, nonlinear relationships between ESGD factors and well-being. CO2 emissions display an inverted U-curve, suggesting eventual negative impacts after initial gains. Our findings suggest that renewable energy only benefits higher quantiles, revealing affordability issues. Social and governance factors like labor participation and women's political participation relate nonlinearly to well-being across income levels, reflecting employment quality and social norms differences. Similarly, digital factors improve well-being in high-income countries but not lower-middle-income nations, due to economic complexity gaps and the digital divide. A “digital economy paradox” emerges where more digital skills combined with limited digital economies decrease well-being in lower-middle income countries signifying the need for tailored digital policies. This study enhances understanding of links between ESGD factors and well-being patterns.

Contribution of Women in Political Movement of Nepal

This article explores the extraordinary contributions made by women to Nepal's political movement, demonstrating their fundamental influence on the political climate of the nation. The study investigates the varied political activism of Nepalese women through an analysis of historical accounts, academic research, and direct testimonies. In Nepal, women have been instrumental in political movements, community mobilization, and advocacy for social and political change. They have actively taken part in protests, rallies, and neighborhood campaigns, pushing back against patriarchal conventions and clamoring for equitable participation in governmental organizations. In order to advance gender equality and women's rights in the political sphere, the article examines the effects of women's organizations, women-led projects, and female activists. It looks at their initiatives to remove social constraints, boost women's political participation, and combat gender-based prejudice. This article also examines the obstacles women have had to overcome while examining the crucial role they have played in Nepal's political movement and their contributions to constitutional changes. The paper offers insights on the empowerment of women within the Nepali political system by a thorough analysis of scholarly research, historical records, and documented experiences.

Gender quota, women in politics, and gender parity in education

AbstractDo women in politics contribute to gender parity in education? This study seeks to provide an empirical answer to this question by examining whether women in politics (women parliamentarians) contribute to closing the gender inequality in education using a global sample of 191 countries from 1990 to 2020. We deployed the two‐stage least square (IV‐TSLS) technique and gender quota as an instrument to isolate the exogenous effect of women in politics on gender parity in primary, secondary and tertiary education. The findings from the IV‐TSLS estimators show that an increase in the number of female parliamentarians is associated with a significant increase in gender parity at all levels of education. These results survived several robustness checks, including using different estimators such as the Lewbel two‐stage least squares and the Kinky least‐squares estimators. Based on the quota type, we documented that women in politics significantly spur gender parity in education in countries with reserved seat quotas and not in countries with candidate quotas. We also found that the results differ across different geographical regions and income groups. The findings call on policy‐makers to address societal, legal and structural barriers limiting women's political participation to achieve gender parity at all levels of education.

From global trends to local realities: understanding women's political involvement for Indonesia's democratic progress

The urgency of this research lies in the need to understand the trends, contributions, and dynamics of women's political participation globally. This article aims to map studies that focus on women's political participation. Research methods include bibliometric analysis with data sources from the Scopus database. The study's findings reflect significant growth in women's political participation research, especially in recent years, with distribution varying by country and research theme. The research findings also show that although there are themes that have received attention, there are still areas that need to be explored further, such as intersectionality, gender equality, gender, and the impact of social media that provide insight into the complexity of women's political participation issues. This study recommends the need for increased research and local understanding of the factors influencing women's political participation in Indonesia to strengthen women's role in politics by learning from other countries that have successfully implemented inclusive policies. In addition, by involving various parties, including the government, research institutions, and civil society, Indonesia can create an environment that supports, empowers, and encourages women's political participation optimally. The implications of these findings not only help shape academic discourse, but also lay the foundation for concrete efforts to achieve gender equality and women's empowerment in the wider political sphere.