Elect Women for a Change: The Path to Gender Parity in Politics

Over the last three decades, women have made significant inroads into political life. Yet the equal and inclusive sharing of political power remains elusive. The number of women in political positions still falls short of full equality, and even when women enter politics, they often continue to be marginalized and do not reflect the full diversity of women as a group.

Written by a leading authority on women and politics, this incisive book makes the case for gender parity and identifies strategies to achieve it. Offering a roadmap for advocates, Mona Lena Krook argues that parity is not simply about numbers, but also about the ability of women, in all their diversity, to exercise equal voice and influence. Based on academic research as well as conversations with political women around the world, she assembles evidence showing that parity - defined in terms of access, power, and diversity - advances equality and human rights, promotes the election of qualified and diligent politicians, fosters more responsive public policy, and enhances democratic legitimacy.

Identifying socialization, discrimination, and backlash as key barriers to gender parity, she presents and assesses a wide range of strategies developed around the global to counteract these obstacles, including data collection, training programs, gender quotas, gender-sensitive institutions, and anti-violence laws. The book concludes with a call to action, highlighting the role that a variety of actors, including international organizations, governments, parliaments, political parties, individual politicians, and activists, might play in advancing this agenda. In sum: everyone can do something to advance parity in the political world.

Mona Krook is Professor of Political Science at Rutgers University.