Bureaucratic Agencies as Gendered Institutions

• In Event: Brazil in Perspective

Abstract

To what extent are bureaucratic agencies gendered institutions in developing countries? Can female cabinet members help overcome hurdles for women to be appointed to high-level positions in the civil service? We use novel data on more than 400,000 civil servants appointed to high-level political appointment slots in the Brazilian federal executive between 1999 and 2018 to explore these questions. Focusing especially on the role of political parties and the different policy areas pursued by federal bureaucratic institutions, we hypothesize that women are more likely to be appointed to high-level positions in bureaucratic structures led by other women, in ministries led by the president’s own party, in policy areas where women have a strong professional presence, and in ministries of low-medium prestige as defined by extant literature.

Authors

• Karine Belarmino, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities

• Sergio Praca, Getulio Vargas Foundation

• Pedro G. dos Santos, College of Saint Benedict