Upward PoliticalMobility: Gender Quotas in Indian Elections

• In Event: Gender and Politics in Developing Countries

Abstract

Electoral quotas are viewed as tools to correct political inequalities. Yet, the lasting effects of
quotas are understudied. Do quotas enable upward political mobility of women? This paper
uses the gender reservation policy in India to answer this question. Indian local government
elections impose mandatory gender quotas, but state elections do not. Hence we can assess
if there is an increase in women’s representation in states due to quotas at the local level. I
find that quotas induce about 3% increase in the share of women in the state assembly.

Author

• Varun Karekurve-Ramachandra, University of Rochester