Gender and political ambition

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapter

Abstract

The ‘gender ambition gap’ is seen as a key explanation for women’s political under-representation around the world, with women significantly less likely than men to be interested in running for elected office. This ‘gender gap’ has also become the dominant frame of political training programmes aimed at recruiting and preparing prospective women candidates. However, this conventional wisdom has come under increasing critique, with studies pointing to ongoing party political, institutional and systemic barriers to women’s political inclusion. Increasingly, work in the field has moved away from individual-level explanations of (and solutions to) women’s under-representation, towards a more comprehensive and contextual understanding of the gendered dynamics of candidate emergence.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationEncyclopedia of Gender and Politics
EditorsZoe Lefkofridi
PublisherEdward Elgar Publishing
Publication statusAccepted/In press - 9 Jul 2024

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

  • gender
  • political ambition
  • political representation
  • comparative politics
  • candidate emergence
  • political parties

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