Women Ministers and Political Appointments: Evidence from Spain

• In Event: Women, Gender and Cabinet Ministers in Comparative Perspective

Abstract

Women have historically been underrepresented in politics. There is, of course, variation across countries, time, and political office. Therefore a key area of research seeks to identify the mechanisms that foster women’s inclusion in politics (Barnes & O'Brien, 2018). One potential mechanism is women politicians. The research findings on this question are mixed. For example, one cross-national quantitative study finds that women prime ministers do not appoint more women ministers (O'Brien, Mendez, Peterson, & Shin, 2015), while another finds that women presidents do (Reyes-Housholder, 2016). Additionally, because most research on this question has relied on quantitative statistical analyses, we still know little about the incentives male and female politicians face when they recruit or build political teams.

This paper examines whether the sex of the selector matters for women’s representation and the incentives politicians face when they make political appointments. It analyzes an under-researched area—the appointment of subcabinet officials within ministerial departments. In short, do women ministers bring more women along? If so, why? If not, why not? Empirically, the paper draws on evidence from eight governments in Spain, over the 25-year period between 1993 and 2018, including left and right governments. It combines a statistical analysis of ministers’ appointments with interviews with dozens of former ministers.

Author

• Bonnie N. Field, Bentley University