An Analysis of Contextual Factors Influencing women's Candidacy in Local Elections: Insights From Italy

Abstract

Extensive research showed that the gender gap in electoral participation, both active and passive, is linked to cultural and socio-economic aspects that can combine in diverse ways across different territories, leading to regional disparities. The present study analyzes how such heterogeneity in cultural and socio-economic conditions interacts with the level of female participation in political competition in Italy, as measured by the proportion of female candidates in municipal elections from 2009 to 2016. Focusing on the gender dimension of candidacy in local elections, the study investigates its territorial determinants, particularly the role of the social and economic context. The research is innovative in two ways. First, it utilizes a large original panel dataset covering gender aspects of electoral candidatures at the municipal level as well as many socio-economic contextual characteristics. Second, it employs a specification of the Correlated Random Effects Within-Between model, which allows to disentangle the effect of both time-variant and time-invariant information within a panel data framework. Finally, the time period examined is of interest as it encompasses the Italian electoral reform known as Law 215/2012, which introduced a gender list quota at the municipal level. The results of the study suggest that policies to reduce the gender gap must aim not only at introducing quotas for women's representation but also at acting on all those economic and social factors that limit the presence of women in electoral candidacy.