| Popis: |
The number of women in parliaments and legislatures across the globe has nearly doubled in the last ten years. What happens when more women enter politics, and what impact does that have on the lives of female constituents? Drawing on substantive representation theory, many claim that women are the best at representing women. Previous literature also suggests that although there is no critical mass of women required in a legislature to enact change, increasing the percentage of women can make it easier for female legislators to put women’s issues on the agenda. This project applies the current body of Western-centric literature to Latin America, where women’s advancement is met with resistance from machismo culture, and has been historically encumbered by authoritarian regimes and imperialism. Through case studies focused on Argentina, Costa Rica, The Dominican Republic, Chile, and Uruguay, I explore the legislative effects of increased female representation in Latin America. This project aims to answer numerous questions regarding female representation, including: Does having more women in the legislature lead to the passage of more laws related to women’s interest? Do these laws become more meaningful as the number of women increases? And does the influence of female legislators extend beyond the legislature and into other areas of government? Finally, I take into account the numerous other factors that affect the advancement of women’s rights and female-centric legislation — previous literature has established that the support of left-leaning parties, well-funded bureaucratic agencies in charge of women’s affairs, and women’s movements are three factors that play a vital role in the passage of legislation related to women’s issues. Are these factors more important that the descriptive representation of women? In other words, do women advance women, or is the formula for increasing women-centric legislation far more complicating than electing more female legislators? |
