Political Science Commons^™

Variation In Women's Political Representation Across Countries, Julianna Heck

James Madison Undergraduate Research Journal (JMURJ)

This cross-national study examines the ongoing gender imbalance in positions of power in local and national governments. While some countries have gone to great lengths to combat disproportion and inequality, others have taken steps backwards and have made it almost impossible to achieve equal opportunities for women. Despite the fact that women make up almost half of the world’s population, men still far outnumber women in government in the majority of countries worldwide. This quantitative study analyzes variation in women’s political representation in four categories: domestic roles, wage parity, political systems, and gender quotas. The results suggest that although the …