Women, parties and platforms in post-industrial democracies

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

64 Scopus citations

Abstract

Will women transform party politics? As a group of relative newcomers to parties, women may contribute to shaping parties' policy agendas and to changing party rules. A party-level perspective allows for examination of the national- and party-level contextual influences that condition the effect of women on party platforms. Systematic analysis of a broad range of 142 political parties in 24 post-industrial democracies from 1990 to 2003 illuminates the dynamic relationship between women's political power and party politics. Drawing on the Comparative Manifestos Project data and original party-level data, the multi-level analyses reveal that women's rising numbers among a party's parliamentary delegation and among its leadership committee contribute to an emphasis on social justice in the party programme, and to the adoption of gender quota policies. Furthermore, for welfare state expansion, the effect of women MPs is amplified by the presence of a women's organization within the party.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)66-92
Number of pages27
JournalParty Politics
Volume17
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 2011

Keywords

  • Gender
  • policy goals
  • political parties
  • statistical analysis

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Sociology and Political Science

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Women, parties and platforms in post-industrial democracies'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this