Women in Policymaking: Social Spending and Outcomes

This paper assesses the impact of women's participation in national governments (as parliamentarians and ministers) on social spending and outcomes in emerging market and developing economies (EMDEs). We find that the representation of women in politics has increased over time, with substantial variation across regions and countries. Latin America and the Caribbean lead among EMDE regions, while Middle East and Central Asia and Emerging and Developing Asia have lower female representation. The higher shares of women in parliaments and cabinet positions go hand-in-hand with increased government health spending, both as a share of GDP and total spending. The results on education outlays are broadly similar. Greater representation of women in policymaking is also associated with positive effects on social outcomes, such as a reduction in infant and under-five mortality rates, greater access to basic water services, and higher learning-adjusted years of schooling. The case studies presented in the paper highlight the importance of identifying national priorities on health and education and increasing the share of female political leaders (including through quotas where gender biases are entrenched).