Gender and parliaments

Shifting from ‘women in’ to ‘gender and’ parliaments, this entry examines parliaments as gendered institutions. It introduces feminist institutionalism (FI) as a leading approach to studying parliaments from a gendered perspective. FI is interested not only in capturing the work that gender does within parliaments, but also in institutional re-gendering and change. Gender-sensitive parliaments (GSP) have been a critical intervention and change strategy in an increasing number of parliaments around the world. Academics and practitioners work together to undertake GSP audits and assessments, aimed at transforming women’s participation, alongside parliamentary infrastructure, rules and culture. A thriving body of impactful scholarship, the gendered study of parliaments queries traditional assumptions about and research agendas regarding parliaments as central sites of representative democracy and the pursuit of equality. In so doing, this entry challenges the broader parliamentary studies community to take gender seriously as an analytical category across all areas of their research.