USA: Are minority and women candidates penalized by party politics? Race, gender, and access to party support
Racial/ethnic minorities and women continue to be underrepresented in public office in the United States.
Political Parties
In a representative democracy, political parties function as a link between state institutions and local grassroots organizations. It is political parties that aggregate interests, present political alternatives and nominate candidates. As such, political parties play an essential role for the advancement of women and the promotion of equality. In this section, you will find information on the role of political parties in promoting women's political participation.
USA: The contingent effects of sexism in primary elections
Although the landscape for female candidates in U.S. politics has improved, research continues to find that many voters possess sexist attitudes.
Interview: Zec should ensure political parties are gender sensitive
The country is preparing to hold by-elections on March 26, and the list of candidates shows that there are fewer female candidates than males. Women are said to face several hurdles such as lack of finances to support their electoral campaigns and violence.
The invisible danger of the 'glass cliff’
In times of crisis, people are more likely to appoint women and people of colour to be leaders. But this puts crisis leaders in a very precarious position.
Cherchez les femmes: in the French election, the men stay on top
By Denis Macshane
Pragmatic bias impedes women’s access to political leadership
Women remain underrepresented in political leadership in the United States and beyond.
February 3, 2022
Groupthink gone wrong: Stanford scholars show how assumptions about electability undermine women political candidates
When voters perceive women political candidates to be less electable than men they are likely to vote for a man instead. But there are ways to overcome these often-exaggerated beliefs, according to new Stanford research.