Whose Empowerment? Gender Quota Reform Mechanisms and De-democratization in Morocco

Darhour, Hanane

doi:10.1007/978-3-030-27735-2_11

Cited by 2 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…These results are consistent with the evidence on the implications of quota types, that suggests in countries with reserved-seat quota models, women politicians are more likely to experience tokenism, as well as less political legitimacy and efficacy, and be sidelined (Darhour 2020). Reserved-seat quotas are likely to be adopted as a strategy by the government to improve the country's international reputation and signal commitment to democratic values and norms.…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 87%

“…Reserved-seat models are typically adopted in a top-down manner and imposed on elites when a strong executive seeks to maintain their strategic interests and dominance, or in response to pressure from international actors rather than as a measure to address the under-representation of women (Chowdhury 2002;Darhour 2020;Krook 2006;Muriaas and Wang 2012). Party quotas, in contrast, are often presented as political parties' commitment to promoting gender equality.…”

Section: Backlash and Type Of Quotamentioning

confidence: 99%

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Backlash after Quotas: Moral Panic as a Soft Repression Tactic against Women Politicians

Shiran

2024

Pol & Gen

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Advocates of gender quotas emphasize their transformative potential for women’s political participation. Yet evidence on the symbolic effects of quotas remains inconclusive, with some studies uncovering significant backlash after implementation. Although elite resistance to quotas has been posited as an explanation, the underlying mechanisms generating negative effects remain underexplored. This study proposes the utilization of “moral panic” by elites as a mechanism of resistance. By leveraging their media influence and employing conservative moral rhetoric, elites engineer moral panic, framing women’s political engagement as detrimental to social order and gender hierarchies. Such panic aims to incite public opposition and rationalize elite resistance to progressive changes. Notably, this tactic is more prevalent in countries with reserved-seat quotas, where elites possess limited control over electoral outcomes. Using an original dataset encompassing politician names and genders, I analyze over 150,000 news articles from 2000 to 2021 across 10 sub-Saharan African countries. The findings indicate that quota-induced gains in women’s representation are followed by significant increases in conservative ethical language in news coverage of women politicians, particularly in countries with reserved-seat quotas. These findings bear important implications for gender equality in politics and shed light on the dynamics of backlash after quota implementation.

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 87%

Section: Backlash and Type Of Quotamentioning

confidence: 99%

Backlash after Quotas: Moral Panic as a Soft Repression Tactic against Women Politicians

Shiran

2024

Pol & Gen

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Women’s Rights and Misperceived Gender Norms Under Authoritarianism

Barnett

2023

Comparative Political Studies

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Evidence from democracies shows that making laws more egalitarian can increase individuals’ perceptions that others hold egalitarian views. How do citizens in authoritarian regimes that promote women’s rights perceive public opinion on gender issues? While regime actions and narratives could increase perceptions that egalitarian attitudes are widespread, the disconnect between policy and public preferences could inhibit the expressive power of law to alter perceived norms. Drawing on original surveys and qualitative evidence from Morocco, an important case of de jure advances in women’s rights, I find that Moroccans tend to overestimate others’ embrace of patriarchal attitudes on gender issues. The tendency to misperceive conservatism spans demographic categories and is especially pronounced among men. I argue that citizens’ awareness that policy processes are divorced from electoral accountability and the raised salience of conservative opposition during reform processes can reinforce perceived conservatism, even as women’s rights advance.

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Whose Empowerment? Gender Quota Reform Mechanisms and De-democratization in Morocco

Cited by 2 publications

References 22 publications

Backlash after Quotas: Moral Panic as a Soft Repression Tactic against Women Politicians

Backlash after Quotas: Moral Panic as a Soft Repression Tactic against Women Politicians

Women’s Rights and Misperceived Gender Norms Under Authoritarianism

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