Work and Power: The Connection Between Female Labor Force Participation and Female Political Representation

Abstract

Low levels of female labor force participation contribute to female underrepresentation in democratic polities, both by reinforcing traditional voter attitudes toward women (a demand-side feature) and by constraining the supply of women with professional experience and resources who are capable of mounting credible electoral campaigns. Female labor force participation, however, is only part of the story. Comparative analysis suggests that electoral systems have a strong, systematic effect on the extent to which women's workforce participation boosts female political representation. In candidate-centered political systems, where seniority is an important factor in legislative effectiveness, career interruptions for the sake of childcare and other family work hurts female aspiring politicians more seriously than in proportional representation (PR) systems, where political parties control the policy platform and constituency service is a minor consideration in the careers of candidates. In countries with mixed electoral systems, women do better in seats elected by PR than by single-member plurality. Within countries, women are more likely to get elected to offices characterized by shorter tenure and higher average levels of turnover.

Beyond the Big Picture: Gender Influences on Disaggregated and Domain-Specific Measures of Social Spending, 1980–1999

“…The election of women to legislatures and support for policies that encourage women's equality may go hand in hand. Finally, changes in women's employment, family formation, and gender attitudes also shift electoral landscapes, leaving citizens without a clear partisan camp and potentially opening new constituencies for female legislators (Iversen and Rosenbluth 2008). In this case, women might be elected as part of a broader push for an expanded commitment to social spending.…”

Why Do Arab States Lag the World in Gender Equality?

“…This viewpoint has becomes less common although it has not died away; contemporary studies continue to emphasize residual gender gaps in men and women's lives, whether in literacy, educational qualifications, family responsibilities, or work-based professional networks. All of these factors are regarded as limiting the resources, experience, and capacities which women bring both to civic engagement at mass level (Schlozman 1999), and well as to 3 the pursuit of elected and appointed office for legislative, executive and judicial elites (Iversen and Rosenbluth 2008). In terms of public policies, the structural thesis suggests that more women will eventually be mobilized into mass politics, as well as being poised as eligible candidates on the first rungs of the ladder to enter political careers, as more women gradually move into the paid labor force in rising numbers, especially entering relevant occupations with higher status, relevant skills, and organizational networks in management and the professions.…”

Working Women Worldwide. Age Effects in Female Labor Force Participation in 117 Countries

“…Anderson & Eswaran, 2009;Schultz, 1990). Gray, Kittilson, and Sandholtz (2006) point out that women's labor incomes offer an avenue for mending at least part of their general disadvantage and Iversen and Rosenbluth (2008) find it is associated with a greater presence of women in the public domain. We do not argue here that female labor force participation equals gender equality, but will advance that it can be a starting point of a long process toward emancipation.…”