Feminizing Politics

Quotas for Men: Reframing Gender Quotas as a Means of Improving Representation for All

“…Sénac (2010) refers to this as "added value," with women needing to demonstrate that they meet all the same criteria as men, while also providing additional roles as substantive and symbolic representatives of women. Such a strategy is essentializing and can be problematic for female legislators, who may feel compelled to conform to institutional norms and avoid being associated with the narrow representation of sectoral interests (Childs 2004;Larson 2012;Lovenduski 2005;Walsh 2012). There is no equivalent expectation of male legislators, as the substantive and symbolic representation of men are normally taken for granted within male-dominated legislatures.…”

“…Furthermore, the inadequacies of male-dominated legislatures for addressing the substantive interests of women are well documented (Childs and Withey 2006;Lovenduski 2005;Swers 1998). Although women do not monopolize the capacity to act as substantive representatives for women, they mobilize more frequently than men on issues of importance to women, and bring perspectives to policy debates that are otherwise lacking (Franceschet and Piscopo 2008;Mansbridge 1999;Sapiro 1981;Schwindt-Bayer 2010).…”

“…As men are not under-represented, they are not perceived to require a quota mechanism. Quotas are usually viewed as a means of ensuring a minimum presence of the target group (in this case, women), rather than a means of controlling numbers of overrepresented groups (Dahlerup 2006;Jones 1998;Lovenduski 2005). Discourse surrounding quotas tends to problematize the shortage of women in politics, and present quotas as a solution, leading to an indelible association of gender quotas with women (Tinker 2004;Tripp and Kang 2008).…”

Tracing Gender Differences in Parliamentary Debates: A Growth Curve Analysis of Ugandan Mps’ Activity Levels in Plenary Sessions, 1998–2008

“…Assuming responsibilities at home, women develop traits that manifest communal and less aggressive behaviour (Eagly 1987;Eagly and Wood 1991). The prevailing political culture of masculinity engrained in legislative assemblies and organisations such as political parties may also act as a major obstacle to female politicians (Lovenduski 2005; see also Duerst-Lahti 2005;Whip 1991). In contrast to the above literature, Brescoll (2012) finds no main effect of gender on senators' speaking time in the United States.…”

Unequals among equals: Party strategic discrimination and quota laws

“…Likewise, political parties are not gender-neutral structures and institutionalise definitions of femininity and masculinity, arrange gender hierarchies and define gender-appropriate jobs (Lovenduski, 2005). Indeed, research into the implementation of quotas shows that their effectiveness is constrained by several discriminatory manoeuvres that parties use to circumvent the law (Troupel, 2002;Bird, 2003;Murray, 2008;Verge, 2010).…”