(iPoster) Traditional Gender Norms and Women's Political Participation in Confucianism

• In Event: Poster Session: Women and Politics

Abstract

The existing literature on traditional gender norms and women's political participation has primarily focused on the electoral success of female elites in Western democracies, consistently finding that traditional gender norms significantly suppress women's representation in political institutions. However, the relationship between individual adherence to these norms and personal political engagement remains understudied. This paper uses data from the 5th wave of the Asian Barometer Survey to examine whether adherence to traditional gender norms suppresses political participation, particularly among women, in East Asia—a region deeply influenced by Confucian culture and thus imbued with gender bias. While I initially assumed that traditional gender norms constrain women's political involvement and potentially encourage men's participation, the results show that these norms inhibit political engagement for both genders, with an even less pronounced effect on women. This finding suggests that male-privileged gender norms, which impose excessive expectations on men's engagement in public affairs, may cause a backlash against East Asian men's political participation. Meanwhile, East Asian women are transcending traditional constraints, demonstrating evolving interpretations of gender norms and shifting patterns of political participation.

Author

• Meichao Song, Nanjing University