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Pathbreakers? Women’s Electoral Success and Future Political Participation

Author

Listed:
  • Sonia Bhalotra

    (University of Essex)

  • Irma Clots-Figueras

    (Universidad Carlos III de Madrid)

  • Lakshmi Iyer

    (Harvard Business School)

Abstract

We investigate whether the event of a woman being competitively elected as a state legislator encourages the subsequent political participation of women, using a regression discontinuity design on constituency level data from India. We find that female incumbents are more likely than male incumbents to recontest and that there is a decline in the entry of new women candidates. This decline is most pronounced in states with entrenched gender bias and in male-headed parties, suggesting an intensification of barriers against women in these areas. Similar results for(mostly male) Muslim candidates indicate the presence of institutionalized demand-side barriers rather than gender-specific preferences and constraints.

Suggested Citation

  • Sonia Bhalotra & Irma Clots-Figueras & Lakshmi Iyer, "undated". "Pathbreakers? Women’s Electoral Success and Future Political Participation," Boston University - Department of Economics - The Institute for Economic Development Working Papers Series dp-277, Boston University - Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:bos:iedwpr:dp-277
    as

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    File URL: http://www.bu.edu/econ/files/2016/04/Iyer-BCI_PathBreakers_Jan2016.pdf
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    1. Köppl-Turyna, Monika & Kantorowicz, Jarosław, 2020. "The effect of quotas on female representation in local politics," Research Papers 15, EcoAustria – Institute for Economic Research.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Political participation; women; candidates; gender bias; backlash; minority representation; regression discontinuity; India;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J71 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Discrimination - - - Hiring and Firing
    • P16 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Capitalist Economies - - - Capitalist Institutions; Welfare State

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