Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Electoral System And Gender Representation In Sub-National Legislatures: Is There A National—Sub-National Gender Gap?, Richard Vengroff, Zsolt Nyiri, Melissa Fugiero

Department of Political Science and Law Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Although there have been many studies which have looked at the impact of gender representation at the national level, there are relatively few which explore the sub-national level. In this article we provide an exploration of the patterns of representation of women within democratic countries, both developed and transitional that have elected regional, state, cantonal, or provincial legislatures which occupy the middle ground between the central government and local or municipal administration. We provide a systematic comparative analysis of women’s access to and representation in such bodies. The focus is on a cross-national comparison of gender representation at the meso …