The question of what determines and explains gender inequality in politics has interested students of gender and comparative politics for several decades now, but it has gained additional breath and importance with the change of focus from descriptive to substantive representation, as well as from the traditionally left political parties to parties of the right. With the fall of the Berlin Wall and the democratization of Eastern Europe we can no longer limit our knowledge of gender equality, or the causes and consequences of women's representation, to the realms of Western cultures alone.
Moving beyond the traditional Western bias of most extant studies, Ekaterina R. Rashkova and Emilia Zankina present the first systematic comparative analysis on women's representation in ten democracies in South Eastern Europe. Coining an innovative conceptual approach, a phenomenon called substantive presence and using uniquely gathered data on women's political involvement at the legislative, executive and party level, Rashkova and Zankina disentangle the relationship between the institutional set up, the historical context and the level and type of women representation. Evidence shows that the more influential women politicians are found in parties of the right, as opposed to the traditionally expected parties of the left. Left political ideology is not a primary determinant of the level and magnitude of women's involvement in politics in the case of Southeastern Europe.
Gender and Politics in South Eastern Europe is a novel and valuable contribution to the literature on gender and politics and more broadly to the field of comparative politics.
- ISBN10 1138697796
- ISBN13 9781138697799
- Publish Date 31 December 2023
- Publish Status Forthcoming
- Publish Country GB
- Publisher Taylor & Francis Ltd
- Imprint Routledge
- Format Hardcover
- Pages 176
- Language English