The Marriage Effect: Influence of Marital Status of Female Candidates

• In Event: Gender and Political Representation in Asia

Abstract

In the U.S. or Europe, married women with children are perceived more favorably to unmarried or childless women in elections. In countries with highly unequal gender norms where women are expected to prioritize their roles as mothers and wives, such theories may not hold, yielding a high proportion of widowed candidates in office, as is the case in India. I test this discontinuity through an online survey experiment and a field conjoint experiment in India, which manipulate fictitious, female political candidates': (1) marital status (married, never-married, widowed), (2) whether or not she is a dynastic politician, and (3) occupation. I find that respondents are less likely to think that widowed women will win office compared to unmarried or married women. This effect is likely driven by female rather than male respondents. Moreover, it is driven by lesser trust in widowed women, along with lesser likability of widows. The findings bear into question whether empirical representation of candidates is reflective of voters' preferences.

Author

• Bhumi Purohit, University of California, Berkeley