Electoral systems and women's representation: a long‐term perspective

Abstract

Abstract This paper provides a long‐term perspective on women's legislative representation in 20 Western democracies by describing and analysing the patterns over a 50‐year period, 1950‐2000. Descriptive patterns show that the same countries who were leaders in women's representation, albeit at very low levels, in the 1950s, remain the leaders, but with an increased gap, in 2000. A multivariate analysis of factors influencing women's representation over the entire period finds that the most important variables are a proportional electoral system, early women's enfranchisement, and the introduction of gender quotas for political parties. The conclusion emphasises the implications of these findings for women's legislative representation in Anglo‐American democracies. View correction statement:Correction Notes 1 This research was conducted while the second‐named author was a Visiting Fellow in the Political Science Program, Institute for Advanced Studies, Research School of Social Sciences, The Australian National University, Canberra, May‐August 2001. We thank Jeffrey Karp of the University of Amsterdam, the two anonymous reviewers, and the editors of Representation for their comments on a previous version. Marian Sawer of ANU, Bernadette Hayes of Queen's University, Belfast, Karen Beckwith of the College of Wooster, Robert DiClerico of West Virginia University, and Jack Vowles of the University of Waikato helped identify data and references.