Women in
Comparative Societies
Women in Politics
Measures of
womenÕs political behavior
Interest in politics
Voluntarism, work in
non-profit sector
Voting
Running for office
Attaining political
office
If women have ever
attained a nationÕs highest
Political offices
Speaker of the House
Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)
Governor Christine Gregoire
(GU Law Alumna!!)
Congressperson Cathy
McMorris Rodgers (R-Spokane!!)
State Senate Majority Leader Lisa
Brown (D-Spokane!!)
In comparative
politics, most common measure used to gauge and compare womenÕs political power
is:
Proportion of women
serving in parliaments,
Typically the lower/only house
This data is
compiled by the WomenÕs Inter-Parliamentary
Union
(See also Rutgers Center for American Women in
Politics site for current office holders, historical figures,
state-by-state lists)
See IPU site for
global average, regional averages, data on US other individual
Where does the US
fall globally?
Why? Why, given all the opportunities
American women have are there not more women in Congress, women presidents?
Institutional
Factors
Presidential vs.
parliamentary systems
Former British PM Margaret
Thatcher
German Chancellor Angela Merkel
Quotas/seats reserved for women
Party based quotas/incentives
Sociological
Factors (see Elder article)
Women/girls interest in
politics
Feelings of political
efficacy/electability
Gender role
socialization
e.g. is politics an appropriate career for women,
a manÕs game, etc.
Lack of role models
What does Elder
find in testing these sociological hypotheses?
Structural Factors
Women under-represented
in professions,
careers that most often lead to careers in politics
Situational
Factors
WomenÕs disproportionate responsibility for children, family in actual
time/energy available for politics
AND women choosing NOT to run because they anticipate these
responsibilities, donÕt want them to conflict
What does Elder
find here?
What about you?
Have you
considered a career in politics? Would you like to be a member of Congress,
president? Did you ever but change
your mind?
Obama
example:
YES WE CAN
YES WE CAN
YES WE CAN
YES WE CAN