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Electoral Gender Quotas And Attitudes Toward Traditional Leaders: A Policy Experiment In Lesotho

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  • Amanda Clayton

Abstract

The adoption of electoral gender quotas has increased dramatically in the last 20 years, receiving praise for transforming the composition of political bodies worldwide. Gender quotas, however, have also been criticized as an unsuccessful tool in challenging the de facto power of traditional patriarchal elites. The case of Lesotho provides a randomized policy experiment to test for changes in the influence of traditional leaders after quota adoption at the subnational level. Between 2005 and 2011, Lesotho reserved at random 30 percent of all newly formed single‐member local electoral divisions for only female candidates. Using a unique data set by merging the 2008 Afro‐barometer survey with the reservation status of respondents’ villages, I find that having a quota‐mandated female leader significantly reduces the perceived influence of traditional leaders. Further, I find that this treatment effect holds across different demographic groups, suggesting a widespread policy impact.

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  • Amanda Clayton, 2014. "Electoral Gender Quotas And Attitudes Toward Traditional Leaders: A Policy Experiment In Lesotho," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 33(4), pages 1007-1026, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:jpamgt:v:33:y:2014:i:4:p:1007-1026
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1002/pam.21789
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    Cited by:

    1. Djemaï, Elodie & Kevane, Michael, 2023. "Effects of education on political engagement in rural Burkina Faso," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 165(C).
    2. Clayton, Amanda & Tang, Belinda, 2018. "How women’s incumbency affects future elections: Evidence from a policy experiment in Lesotho," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 110(C), pages 385-393.
    3. Hari Prasad Upadhaya & Illoong Kwon, 2023. "Gender quota in the civil service and female participation: Evidence from Nepal," Pacific Economic Review, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(2), pages 191-205, May.
    4. Clayton,Amanda & Noveck,Jennifer Lynn & Levi,Margaret, 2015. "When elites meet : decentralization, power-sharing, and public goods provision in post-conflict Sierra Leone," Policy Research Working Paper Series 7335, The World Bank.

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