TY - JOUR
T1 - The Gender Gap in Latin America
T2 - Contextual and individual influences on gender and political participation
AU - Desposato, Scott
AU - Norrander, Barbara
PY - 2009/1
Y1 - 2009/1
N2 - While a substantial literature explores gender differences in participation in the United States, Commonwealth countries and Western Europe, little attention has been given to gender's impact on participation in the developing world. These countries have diverse experiences with gender politics: some have been leaders in suffrage reforms and equal rights, while, in others, divorce has only recently been legalized. This article examines the relationship between gender and participation in seventeen Latin American countries. Many core results from research in the developed world hold in Latin America as well. Surprisingly, however, there is no evidence that economic development provides an impetus for more equal levels of participation. Instead, the most important contextual factors are civil liberties and women's presence among the visible political elite.
AB - While a substantial literature explores gender differences in participation in the United States, Commonwealth countries and Western Europe, little attention has been given to gender's impact on participation in the developing world. These countries have diverse experiences with gender politics: some have been leaders in suffrage reforms and equal rights, while, in others, divorce has only recently been legalized. This article examines the relationship between gender and participation in seventeen Latin American countries. Many core results from research in the developed world hold in Latin America as well. Surprisingly, however, there is no evidence that economic development provides an impetus for more equal levels of participation. Instead, the most important contextual factors are civil liberties and women's presence among the visible political elite.
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U2 - 10.1017/S0007123408000458
DO - 10.1017/S0007123408000458
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:57349173513
VL - 39
SP - 141
EP - 162
JO - British Journal of Political Science
JF - British Journal of Political Science
SN - 0007-1234
IS - 1
ER -