The Underrepresentation of Women in Politics: A Literature Review on Gender Bias in Political Recruitment Processes

Abstract

This article discusses the underrepresentation of women in the political arena worldwide by reviewing the relevant literature in the field of political science. Despite women's increasing participation in various fields, the average percentage of female legislators in OECD countries is only 33.83%, with only two countries achieving 50% representation. Increasing the number of female legislators is crucial to reflect the policy preferences of female voters and increase women's future political participation. However, multiple studies suggest that women face gender bias at each of the three stages of the political recruitment process: self-selection of potential candidates, nomination of aspiring candidates by political parties, and selection of candidates as representatives by voters. We review how gender bias may manifest at each stage of the political recruitment process to understand why there is a significant gender gap in political representation. Additionally, we introduce research discussing ways to reduce the gender gap in political representation.