Abstract
This article studies the determinants of gender political quota and enforcement sanctions, two key policy instruments for increasing female participation in politics. We find a novel empirical fact: language (the pervasiveness of gender distinctions in grammar) is the most significant related variable to quota adoption, more than traditional explanations such as economic development, political system and religion
Keywords
Culture; Development; Gender quotas; Language;
JEL codes
- K00: General
- O17: Formal and Informal Sectors • Shadow Economy • Institutional Arrangements
- Z13: Economic Sociology • Economic Anthropology • Social and Economic Stratification
Published in
Applied Economics Letters, vol. 20, n. 5, 2013, pp. 495–498