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Female Leaders and the Representation of Women in Government

Author

Listed:
  • Niklas Potrafke
  • Luisa Dörr
  • Klaus Gründler
  • Tuuli Tähtinen
  • Luisa Dörr

Abstract

Does electing female politicians increase women’s political representation? Using a difference-in-differences design on a comprehensive cross-national dataset, we find that the first election of a female incumbent systematically increases the share of women in government. To address selection concerns, we apply the synthetic control method to a unique case of exogenous government change: the appointment of Germany’s first female state prime minister in 1993 — without a state election. Our findings provide causal evidence that her entry led to a lasting rise in women’s political representation, highlighting how even one influential woman can help others ascend to high political office.

Suggested Citation

  • Niklas Potrafke & Luisa Dörr & Klaus Gründler & Tuuli Tähtinen & Luisa Dörr, 2025. "Female Leaders and the Representation of Women in Government," CESifo Working Paper Series 11851, CESifo.
  • Handle: RePEc:ces:ceswps:_11851
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    political leaders; gender gap in politics; political participation; political representation; gender composition.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • D72 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Political Processes: Rent-seeking, Lobbying, Elections, Legislatures, and Voting Behavior

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