Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The Impact of Women in Parliament

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
The Palgrave Handbook of Women’s Political Rights

Part of the book series: Gender and Politics ((GAP))

Abstract

O’Brien and Piscopo examine how increases in the number of female parliamentarians shape three outcomes: policies and policymaking, public opinion, and the legislature as a workplace. Reviewing the literature, the authors conclude that female representatives indeed diversify legislative agendas, especially regarding women and other vulnerable groups. Women’s presence also erodes negative perceptions about women as political leaders, both among the public and among politicians. However, O’Brien and Piscopo also find that women’s presence meets resistance, particularly because parliaments’ internal cultures and leadership structures remain male-dominated. Gender quotas mediate all these trends: Quotas raise the number of female parliamentarians and accelerate political and social change but may also provoke backlash. The authors conclude by calling for more research on this latter trend.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 299.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 379.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 379.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Bibliography

  • Acker, Joan. 1990. Hierarchies, Jobs, Bodies: A Theory of Gendered Organizations. Gender & Society 4 (2): 139–158.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Alexander, Amy C. 2012. Change in Women’s Descriptive Representation and the Belief in Women’s Ability to Govern: A Virtuous Circle. Politics & Gender 8 (4): 437–464.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Atkeson, Lonna Rae, and Nancy Carillo. 2007. More is Better: The Influence of Collective Female Descriptive Representation on External Efficacy. Politics & Gender 3 (1): 79–101.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ayata, Ayşe Güneş, and Fatma Tütüncü. 2008. Critical Acts Without a Critical Mass: The Substantive Representation of Women in the Turkish Parliament. Parliamentary Affairs 61 (3): 461–475.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ballington, Julie. 2008. Equality in Politics: A Survey of Women and Men in Parliaments. Geneva: Inter-Parliamentary Union.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bardall, Gabrielle Simon. 2016. Voices, Votes and Violence: Essays on Select Dynamics of Electoral Authoritarian Regimes. PhD dissertation, Université de Montréal. Papyrus: Institutional Repository. http://hdl.handle.net/1866/18513.

  • Barnes, Tiffany D. 2016. Gendering Legislative Behavior: Institutional Constraints and Collaboration. New York: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barnes, Tiffany D., and Diana Z. O’Brien. 2018. Defending the Realm: The Appointment of Female Defense Ministers Worldwide. American Journal of Political Science 62 (2): 355–368.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barnes, Tiffany D., and Stephanie M. Burchard. 2012. ‘Engendering Politics’: The Impact of Descriptive Representation on Women’s Political Engagement in Sub-Saharan Africa. Comparative Political Studies 46 (7): 767–790.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bauer, Gretchen, and Hannah Evelyn Britton (eds.). 2006. Women in African Parliaments. Boulder: Lynne Rienner.

    Google Scholar 

  • Beaman, Lori, Rohini Pande, and Alexandra Cirone. 2012. Politics as a Male Domain and Empowerment in India. In The Impact of Gender Quotas, ed. Susan Franceschet, Mona Lena Krook, and Jennifer M. Piscopo, 208–226. New York: Oxford University Press.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Beaman, Lori, Raghabendra Chattopadhyay, Esther Duflo, Rohini Pande, and Petia Topalova. 2009. Powerful Women: Does Exposure Reduce Bias? The Quarterly Journal of Economics 124 (4): 1497–1540.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Benstead, Lindsay J. 2016. Why Quotas Are Needed to Improve Women’s Access to Services in Clientelistic Regimes.Governance: An International Journal of Policy, Administration, and Institutions 29 (2): 185–205.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bhavnani, Rikhil R. 2009. Do Electoral Quotas Work After They Are Withdrawn? Evidence from a Natural Experiment in India. American Political Science Review 103 (1): 23–35.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bolzendahl, Catherine. 2014. Opportunities and Expectations: The Gendered Organization of Legislative Committees in Germany, Sweden, and the United States. Gender & Society 28 (6): 847–876.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bratton, Kathleen A. 2005. Critical Mass Theory Revisited: The Behavior and Success of Token Women in State Legislatures. Politics & Gender 1 (1): 97–125.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bratton, Kathleen A., and Leonard P. Ray. 2002. Descriptive Representation, Policy Outcomes, and Municipal Day-Care Coverage in Norway. American Journal of Political Science 46 (2): 428–437.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Broockman, David E. 2014. Do Female Politicians Empower Women to Vote or Run for Office? A Regression Discontinuity Approach. Electoral Studies 34 (June): 190–204.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burnet, Jennie. 2012. Women’s Empowerment and Cultural Change in Rwanda. In The Impact of Gender Quotas, ed. Susan Franceschet, Mona Lena Krook, and Jennifer M. Piscopo, 190–207. New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Campbell, Rosie, and Sarah Childs. 2014. Parents in Parliament: ‘Where’s the Mum?’ The Political Quarterly 85 (4): 487–492.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Celis, Karen. 2006. Substantive Representation of Women: The Representation of Women’s Interests and the Impact of Descriptive Representation in the Belgian Parliament (1900–1979). Journal of Women, Politics, and Policy 28 (2): 85–114.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Celis, Karen, and Bram Wauters. 2010. Pinning the Butterfly: Women, Blue-Collar and Ethnic Minority MPs vis-à-vis Parliamentary Norms and the Parliamentary Role of the Group Representative. The Journal of Legislative Studies 16 (3): 380–393.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Celis, Karen, and Sarah Childs. 2012. The Substantive Representation of Women: What to Do with Conservative Claims? Political Studies 60 (1): 213–225.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Celis, Karen, Sarah Childs, Johanna Kantola, and Mona Lena Krook. 2008. Rethinking Women’s Substantive Representation. Representation 44 (2): 98–110.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Charles, Nickie. 2014. Doing Gender, Practising Politics: Workplace Cultures in Local and De-volved Government. Gender, Work & Organization 21 (4): 368–380.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Childs, Sarah. 2004. A Feminised Style of Politics? Women MPs in the House of Commons. The British Journal of Politics & International Relations 6 (1): 3–19.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Childs, Sarah, and Mona Lena Krook. 2012. Labels and Mandates in the United Kingdom. In The Impact of Gender Quotas, ed. Susan Franceschet, Mona Lena Krook, and Jennifer M. Piscopo, 89–102. New York: Oxford University Press.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Clayton, Amanda. 2015. Women’s Political Engagement Under Quota-Mandated Female Representation: Evidence from a Randomized Policy Experiment. Comparative Political Studies 48 (3): 333–369.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clayton, Amanda, Diana Z. O’Brien, and Jennifer M. Piscopo. 2017. All Male Panels? Representation and Democratic Legitimacy. Paper for Presentation at the 2017 MPSA Conference, Chicago, April 6–9.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cowley, Philip. 2014. Descriptive Representation and Political Trust: A Quasi-Natural Experiment Utilising Ignorance. Legislative Studies Quarterly 20 (4): 573–587.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dahlerup, Drude. 1988. From a Small to a Large Minority: Women in Scandinavian Politics. Scandinavian Political Studies 11 (4): 275–298.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dahlerup, Drude. 2014. Representing Women: Defining Substantive Representation of Women. In Representation: The Case of Women, ed. Maria C. Escobar-Lemmon and Michelle M. Taylor-Robinson, 58–75. New York: Oxford University Press.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Desposato, Scott, and Barbara Norrander. 2009. The Gender Gap in Latin America: Contextual and Individual Influences on Gender and Political Participation. British Journal of Political Science 39 (1): 141–162.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Devlin, Claire, and Robert Elgie. 2008. The Effect of Increased Women’s Representation in Parliament: The Case of Rwanda. Parliamentary Affairs 61 (2): 237–254.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Duerst-Lahti, Georgia. 2005. Institutional Gendering: Theoretical Insights into the Environment of Women Officeholders. In Women in Elective Office: Past, Present, and Future, ed. Sue Thomas and Clyde Wilcox, 230–243. New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Escobar-Lemmon, Maria C., Leslie Schwindt-Bayer, and Michelle M. Taylor-Robinson. 2014. Representing Women: Empirical Insights from Legislatures and Cabinets in Latin America. In Representation: The Case of Women, ed. Maria C. Escobar-Lemmon and Michelle M. Taylor-Robinson, 205–224. New York: Oxford University Press.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Espírito-Santo, Ana. 2016. Citizens’ Attitudes Towards Descriptive Representation: The Case of Women in Portugal. European Journal of Women’s Studies 23 (1): 43–59.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Folke, Olle, and Johanna Rickne. 2016. The Glass Ceiling in Politics: Formalization and Empirical Tests. Comparative Political Studies 49 (5): 567–599.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fox, Richard L., and Jennifer L. Lawless. 2004. Entering the Arena? Gender and the Decision to Run for Office. American Journal of Political Science 48 (2): 264–280.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Franceschet, Susan. 2010. The Gendered Dimensions of Rituals, Rules and Norms in the Chilean Congress. The Journal of Legislative Studies 16 (3): 394–407.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Franceschet, Susan, and Jennifer M. Piscopo. 2008. Gender Quotas and Women’s Substantive Representation: Lessons from Argentina. Politics & Gender 4 (3): 393–425.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Franceschet, Susan, Jennifer M. Piscopo, and Gwynn Thomas. 2016. Supermadres, Maternal Legacies, and Women’s Political Participation in Contemporary Latin America. Journal of Latin American Studies 48 (1): 1–32.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Franceschet, Susan, Mona Lena Krook, and Jennifer M. Piscopo (eds.). 2012. The Impact of Gender Quotas. New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Galligan, Yvonne, Sara Clavero, and Marina Calloni. 2007. Gender Politics and Democracy in Post-Socialist Europe. Farmington Hills, MI: Barbara Budrich.

    Google Scholar 

  • Greene, Zachary, and Diana Z. O’Brien. 2016. Diverse Parties, Diverse Agendas? The Parliamentary Party’s Role in Platform Formation. European Journal of Political Research 55 (3): 432–434.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grey, Sandra. 2002. Does Size Matter? Critical Mass and New Zealand’s Women MPs. Parliamentary Affairs 55 (1): 19–29.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Heath, Roseanna Michelle, Leslie A. Schwindt-Bayer, and Michelle M. Taylor-Robinson. 2005. Women on the Sidelines: Women’s Representation on Committees in Latin American Legislatures. American Journal of Political Science 49 (2): 420–436.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Inglehart, Ronald, and Pippa Norris. 2003. Rising Tide: Gender Equality and Cultural Change Around the World. New York: Cambridge University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Jalalzai, Farida. 2013. Shattered, Cracked, or Firmly Intact? Women and the Executive Glass Ceiling Worldwide. New York: Oxford University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Kanthak, Kristin, and George A. Krause. 2012. The Diversity Paradox: Political Parties, Legislatures, and the Organizational Foundations of Representation in America. New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kathlene, Lyn. 1995. Position Power Versus Gender Power: Who Holds the Floor? In Gender Power, Leadership, and Governance, ed. Georgia Duerst-Lahti and Rita Mae Kelly, 167–194. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kathlene, Lyn, Susan E. Clarke, and Barbara A. Fox. 1991. Ways Women Politicians Are Making a Difference. In Gender and Policymaking, ed. Debra L. Dodson, 31–38. New Brunswick, NJ: Center for American Women and Politics.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kenney, Sally J. 1996. New Research on Gendered Political Institutions. Political Research Quarterly 49 (2): 445–466.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kerevel, Yann P., and Lonna Rae Atkeson. 2013. Explaining the Marginalization of Women in Legislative Institutions. The Journal of Politics 75 (4): 980–992.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kittilson, Miki Caul. 2008. Representing Women: The Adoption of Family Leave in Comparative Perspective. The Journal of Politics 70 (2): 323–334.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kittilson, Miki Caul, and Leslie A. Schwindt-Bayer. 2012. The Gendered Effects of Electoral Institutions. New York: Oxford University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Koch, Michael T., and Sarah A. Fulton. 2011. In Defense of Women: Gender, Office-Holding, and National Security Policy in Established Democracies. Journal of Politics 73 (1): 1–16.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Krook, Mona Lena. 2015. Empowerment Versus Backlash: Gender Quotas and Critical Mass Theory. Politics, Groups, and Identities 3 (1): 184–188.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Krook, Mona Lena. 2017. Violence Against Women in Politics. Journal of Democracy 28 (1): 74–88.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Krook, Mona Lena, and Diana Z. O’Brien. 2012. All the President’s Men? The Numbers and Portfolio Allocations of Female Cabinet Ministers. Journal of Politics 74 (3): 840–855.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lawless, Jennifer L. 2004. Politics of Presence? Congresswomen and Symbolic Representation. Political Research Quarterly 57 (1): 81–99.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lovenduski, Joni. 2005.Feminizing Politics. Cambridge: Polity.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mateo Diaz, Mercedes. 2005. Representing Women? Female Legislators in West European Parliaments. Colchester: ECPR Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mendelberg, Tali, Christopher F. Karpowitz, and Nicholas Goedert. 2014. Does Descriptive Representation Facilitate Women’s Distinctive Voice? American Journal of Political Science 58 (2): 291–306.

    Google Scholar 

  • Murray, Rainbow. 2014. Quotas for Men: Reframing Gender Quotas as a Means of Improving Representation for All. American Political Science Review 108 (3): 520–532.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • O’Brien, Diana Z. 2012. Quotas and Qualifications in Uganda. In The Impact of Gender Quotas, ed. Susan Franceschet, Mona Lena Krook, and Jennifer M. Piscopo, pp. 57–71. New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • O’Brien, Diana Z. 2015. Rising to the Top: Gender, Political Performance, and Party Leadership in Parliamentary Democracies. American Journal of Political Science 59 (4): 1022–1039.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • O’Brien, Diana Z., and Johanna Rickne. 2016. Gender Quotas and Women’s Political Leadership. American Political Science Review 110 (1): 112–126.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Paxton, Pamela, Melanie M. Hughes, and Matthew A. Painter. 2010. Growth in Women’s Political Representation: A Longitudinal Exploration of Democracy, Electoral System and Gender Quotas. European Journal of Political Research 49 (1): 25–52.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Phillips, Jess. 2017. Everywoman: One Woman’s Truth About Speaking the Truth. London: Hutchinson.

    Google Scholar 

  • Piscopo, Jennifer M. 2011. Rethinking Descriptive Representation: Rendering Women in Legislative Debates. Parliamentary Affairs 64 (3): 448–472.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Piscopo, Jennifer M. 2014a. Beyond Hearth and Home: Female Legislators, Feminist Policy Change, and Substantive Representation in Mexico. Revista Uruguaya de Ciencia Política 23 (2): 104–127.

    Google Scholar 

  • Piscopo, Jennifer M. 2014b. Female Leadership and Sexual Health Policy in Argentina. Latin American Research Review 49 (1): 86–111.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rai, Shirin M. (ed.). 2010. Ceremony and Ritual in Parliament. London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reingold, Beth. 1996. Conflict and Cooperation: Legislative Strategies and Concepts of Power Among Female and Male State Legislators. The Journal of Politics 58 (2): 464–485.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reynolds, Andrew. 1999. Women in the Legislatures and Executives of the World: Knocking at the Highest Glass Ceiling. World Politics 51 (4): 547–572.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rincker, Meg E. 2009. Masculinized or Marginalized: Decentralization and Women’s Status in Regional Polish Institutions. Journal of Women, Politics, and Policy 30 (1): 46–69.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rosenthal, Cindy Simon. 1998. When Women Lead: Integrative Leadership in State Legislatures. New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schwindt-Bayer, Leslie A. 2010. Political Power and Women’s Representation in Latin America. New York: Oxford University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Schwindt-Bayer, Leslie A., and William Mishler. 2005. An Integrated Model of Women’s Representation. Journal of Politics 67 (2): 407–428.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Swers, Michelle. 2005. Connecting Descriptive and Substantive Representation: An Analysis of Sex Differences in Cosponsorship Activity. Legislative Studies Quarterly 30 (3): 407–433.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tamale, Sylvia. 1999. When Hens Begin to Crow: Gender and Parliamentary Politics in Uganda. Boulder: Westview Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thomas, Sue. 1994. How Women Legislate. New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tripp, Aili Mari, and Alice Kang. 2008. The Global Impact of Quotas: On the Fast Track to Increased Female Legislative Representation. Comparative Political Studies 41 (3): 338–361.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Walsh, Denise. 2012. Party Centralization and Debate Conditions in South Africa. In The Impact of Gender Quotas, ed. Susan Franceschet, Mona Lena Krook, and Jennifer M. Piscopo, 119–135. New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Walsh, Shannon Drysdale. 2016. Not Necessarily Solidarity: Dilemmas to Transnational Advocacy Networks Addressing Violence against Women. International Feminist Journal of Politics 18 (2): 248–267.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wängnerud, Lena. 2009. Women in Parliaments: Descriptive and Substantive Representation. Annual Review of Political Science 12: 51–69.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • We Said Enough, Letter to the Editor. 2017. Los Angeles Times, October 16. http://documents.latimes.com/women-california-politics-call-out-pervasive-culture-sexual-harassment/.

  • Weldon, S. Laurel. 2002. Protest, Policy and the Problem of Violence Against Women: A Cross National-Comparison. Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Wittmer, Dana E., and Vanessa Bouché. 2013. The Limits of Gendered Leadership: Policy Implications of Female Leadership on ‘Women’s Issues.’ Politics & Gender 9 (3): 245–275.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wolbrecht, Christina, and David E. Campbell. 2007. Leading by Example: Female Members of Parliament as Political Role Models. American Journal of Political Science 51 (4): 921–939.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xydias, Christina. 2007. Inviting More Women to the Party: Gender Quotas and Women’s Substantive Representation in Germany. International Journal of Sociology 37 (4): 52–66.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yoon, Mi Yung. 2011. More Women in the Tanzanian Legislature: Do Numbers Matter? Journal of Contemporary African Studies 29 (1): 83–98.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Young, Iris Marion. 2001. Inclusion and Democracy. New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zetterberg, Pär. 2009. Do Gender Quotas Foster Women’s Political Engagement? Lessons from Latin America. Political Research Quarterly 62 (4): 715–730.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zetterberg, Pär. 2012. Political Engagement and Democratic Legitimacy in Mexico. In The Impact of Gender Quotas, ed. Susan Franceschet, Mona Lena Krook, and Jennifer M. Piscopo, 173–189. New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA

    Diana Z. O’Brien

  2. Occidental College, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Jennifer M. Piscopo

Authors
  1. Diana Z. O’Brien
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jennifer M. Piscopo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Diana Z. O’Brien .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada

    Susan Franceschet

  2. Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA

    Mona Lena Krook

  3. McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada

    Netina Tan

Copyright information

© 2019 The Author(s)

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

O’Brien, D.Z., Piscopo, J.M. (2019). The Impact of Women in Parliament. In: Franceschet, S., Krook, M.L., Tan, N. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of Women’s Political Rights. Gender and Politics. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-59074-9_4

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation