Gender and legislative committees in Africa: a study of Rwanda and South Africa

• Saaka Sulemana Saaka ^[1] ; Abiba Yayah ^[1]
  1. [1] University of Calgary

     University of Calgary

     Canadá

     
• Localización: The Journal of legislative studies, ISSN 1357-2334, Vol. 31, Nº. 4, 2025, págs. 1077-1098
• Idioma: inglés
• DOI: 10.1080/13572334.2024.2381155
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Resumen

  • Are female legislators treated equally in comparison to their male peers in theorganisation of parliamentary committees? This study investigates thedynamics of legislative committee assignments in Rwanda and South Africa.We analyze data on 1257 committee appointments across two legislativeterms from 2010 to 2023. Despite comparable educational and professionalbackgrounds between male and female parliamentarians, our findingshighlight the persistent influence of gender on the organisation of legislativecommittees. Specifically, women are significantly more likely to be assignedto committees that are stereotypically considered feminine and of lowerprestige. By shedding light on these patterns, this nuanced researchcontributes to our understanding of how work in legislative committees isinfluenced by gender roles.

• Referencias bibliográficas
  • Acheampong, M. (2023). The legislators’ dilemma: (In) formal institutions, externalpatronage and the local-elite-centeredness of parliamentary...
  • Annesley, C., Beckwith, K., & Franceschet, S. (2019). Cabinets, ministers, and gender.Oxford University Press.
  • Arendt, C. M. (2018). From critical mass to critical leaders: Unpacking the politicalconditions behind gender quotas in Africa. Politics &...
  • Baekgaard, M., & Kjaer, U. (2012). The gendered division of labor in assignments topolitical committees: Discrimination or self-selection...
  • Baines, E. K. (2003). Body politics and the Rwandan crisis. Third World Quarterly, 24(3), 479–493. https://doi.org/10.1080/0143659032000084429
  • Barnes, T. D. (2014). Women’s representation and legislative committee appoint-ments: The case of the Argentine provinces. Revista Uruguaya...
  • Bauer, G. (2016). ‘What is wrong with a woman being chief?’ Women chiefs andsymbolic and substantive representation in Botswana. Journal of...
  • Bauer, G., & Burnet, J. E. (2013). Gender quotas, democracy, and women’s represen-tation in Africa: Some insights from democratic Botswana...
  • Beatson, J. (1979). Legislative control of administrative rulemaking: Lessons from theBritish experience. Cornell Int’l LJ, 12, 199.
  • Bolzendahl, C. (2014). Opportunities and expectations: The gendered organization oflegislative committees in Germany, Sweden, and the United...
  • Broockman, D. E., & Butler, D. M. (2015). Do better committee assignments mean-ingfully benefit legislators? Evidence from a randomized...
  • Bullock, C. S. (1985). US Senate committee assignments: Preferences, motivations,and success. American Journal of Political Science, 789–808.
  • Cain, B., Ferejohn, J., & Fiorina, M. (1987). The personal vote: Constituency serviceand electoral independence. Harvard University Press.
  • Cairney, J., & Gherghina, S. (2022). Party whips and expertise: Explaining committeeswitching in the Scottish parliament. Parliamentary...
  • Campbell, R., & Heath, O. (2017). Do women vote for women candidates? Attitudestoward descriptive representation and voting behavior in...
  • Chiru, M. (2010). Turnover and legislative institutionalization in Romania, Hungaryand Estonia. In Claire Range (Ed.), Twenty years after:...
  • Chiru, M. (2019). Low-cost policy specialisation, district characteristics and gender.Patterns of committee assignment in Romania. The Journal...
  • Chiru, M., & Gherghina, S. (2019). Committee chair selection under high informa-tional and organizational constraints. Party Politics,...
  • Coppedge, M. (2023). V-Dem’s conceptions of democracy and their consequences.V-Dem Working Paper, 135, 1–31.
  • Crain, W. M., & Sullivan, J. T. (1997). Committee characteristics and re-electionmargins: An empirical investigation of the US house....
  • Curtin, J., Kerby, M., & Dowding, K. (2023). Sex, gender, and promotion in executiveoffice: Cabinet careers in the world of Westminster....
  • Dahlerup, D. (1988). From a small to a large minority: Women in Scandinavian poli-tics. Scandinavian Political Studies, 11(4), 275–298. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9477.1988.tb00372.x
  • Dahlerup, D. (2006). The story of the theory of critical mass. Politics & Gender, 2(4),511–522. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1743923X0624114X
  • Darhour, H., & Dahlerup, D. (2013). Sustainable representation of women throughgender quotas: A decade’s experience in Morocco. In R....
  • Davis, R. H. (1997). Women and power in parliamentary democracies: Cabinetappointments in Western Europe, 1968–1992. Vol. 2. University of...
  • Dolan, K. (2010). The impact of gender stereotyped evaluations on support forwomen candidates. Political Behavior, 32(1), 69–88. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11109-009-9090-4
  • Drew, E. (2000). Career trajectories: Convergence or divergence?. In M. Vianello &G. Moore (Eds.), Gendering elites: Economic and political...
  • Escobar-Lemmon, M., & Taylor-Robinson, M. M. (2009). Getting to the top: Careerpaths of women in Latin American cabinets. Political Research...
  • Escobar-Lemmon, M. C., & Taylor-Robinson, M. M. (2016). Women in presidentialcabinets: Power players or abundant tokens? Oxford University...
  • Espírito-Santo, A., & Sanches, E. R. (2020). Who gets what? The interactive effect ofMPs’ sex in committee assignments in Portugal. Parliamentary...
  • Franceschet, S., & Piscopo, J. M. (2014). Sustaining gendered practices? Power,parties, and elite political networks in Argentina. Comparative...
  • Friedman, S. (1996). House committee assignments of women and minority newcomers,1965–1994. Legislative Studies Quarterly, 73–81. https://doi.org/10.2307/440159
  • Funk, K. D., Morales, L., & Taylor-Robinson, M. M. (2017). The impact of committeecomposition and agendas on women’s participation: Evidence...
  • Goodwin, M., Bates, S. H., & McKay, S. (2021). Electing to do women’s work?Gendered divisions of labor in UK select committees, 1979–2016....
  • Groseclose, T., & King, D. C. (2001). Committee theories reconsidered. In L. C. Dodd& B. I. Oppenheimer (Eds.), Congress reconsidered...
  • Hamm, K. E., Hedlund, R. D., & Post, S. S. (2011). Committee specialization in U.S.state legislatures during the 20th century: Do legislatures...
  • Heath, M. R., Schwindt-Bayer, L. A., & Taylor-Robinson, M. M. (2005). Women onthe sidelines: Women’s representation on committees in Latin...
  • Hoffman, B. D., & Long, J. D. (2013). Parties, ethnicity, and voting in African elec-tions. Comparative Politics, 45(2), 127–146. https://doi.org/10.5129/001041513804634235
  • Hosmer, D. W., Jr., Lemeshow, S., & Sturdivant, R. X. (2013). Applied logisticregression. John Wiley & Sons.
  • Juárez, S. A. B. (2020). Reinterpreting theories of legislative organization. Committeechair selection in the non-majoritarian stage of the...
  • Kang, A. (2013). The effect of gender quota laws on the election of women: Lessonsfrom Niger. In R. L. Muriaas, L. Tønnessen & V. Wang...
  • Kasse, A. F. (2004). Women in politics in Senegal. The Implementation of Quotas:African Experiences, 66–69.
  • Krehbiel, K., Shepsle, K. A., & Weingast, B. R. (1987). Why are congressional com-mittees powerful? American Political Science Review,...
  • Kroeber, C. (2024). Gendered patterns of committee assignments – to what extentare women in parliamentary party groups game changers? ParliamentaryAffairs,...
  • Krook, M. L., & O’Brien, D. Z. (2012). All the president’s men? The appointment offemale cabinet ministers worldwide. The Journal of Politics,...
  • Leston-Bandeira, C. (2004). From legislation to legitimation: The role of thePortuguese parliament. Vol. 16. Psychology Press.
  • Lindberg, S. I. (2004). Women’s empowerment and democratization: The effects ofelectoral systems, participation, and experience in Africa....
  • Lovenduski, J. (1998). Gendering research in political science. Annual Review ofPolitical Science, 1(1), 333–356. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.polisci.1.1.333
  • Martin, S., & Mickler, T. A. (2019). Committee assignments: Theories, causes andconsequences. Parliamentary Affairs, 72(1), 77–98. https://doi.org/10.1093/pa/gsy015
  • Mickler, T. A. (2013). Standing committee assignments in the German Bundestag–who gets what in within-party negotiations? German Politics,...
  • Mickler, T. A. (2018). Not so random after all? – revisiting committee assignments inDáil Éireann. Irish Political Studies, 33(1), 112–135....
  • Murray, R., & Sénac, R. (2018). Explaining gender gaps in legislative committees.Journal of Women, Politics & Policy, 39(3), 310–335....
  • Ndushabandi, E. N., & Schmidt, R. (2021). The deconstruction of ethnic identity:Germany, France, and Rwanda. Franco-German Relations Seen...
  • Norris, P., & Lovenduski, J. (1995). Political recruitment: Gender, race and class in theBritish parliament. Cambridge University Press.
  • O’Brien, D. Z. (2012). Gender and select committee elections in the British House ofCommons. Politics & Gender, 8(2), 178–204. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1743923X12000153
  • Pansardi, P., & Vercesi, M. (2017). Party gate-keeping and women’s appointment toparliamentary committees: Evidence from the Italian case....
  • Papada, E., Altman, D., Angiolillo, F., Gastaldi, L., Köhler, T., Lundstedt, M., Natsika,N., Nord, M., Sato, Y., Wiebrecht, F., & Lindberg,...
  • Payson, J., Fouirnaies, A., & Hall, A. B. (2023). Decomposing the source of the gendergap in legislative committee service: Evidence from...
  • Prihatini, E. (2021). Explaining gender gaps in Indonesian legislative committees.Parliamentary Affairs, 74(1), 206–229.
  • Riera, P., & Cantú, F. (2018). Determinants of legislative committee membership inproportional representation systems. Party Politics,...
  • Roberts, J. M., & Smith, S. S. (2003). Procedural contexts, party strategy, and con-ditional party voting in the US House of Representatives,...
  • Rohde, D. W., & Shepsle, K. A. (1973). Democratic committee assignments in theHouse of Representatives: Strategic aspects of a social...
  • Santos, F., & Renno, L. (2004). The selection of committee leadership in the Brazilianchamber of deputies. The Journal of Legislative...
  • Strøm, K. (1998). Institutions and strategy in parliamentary democracy: A reviewarticle. Legislative Studies Quarterly, 23(1), 127–143.
  • Studlar, D. T., & Moncrief, G. F. (1999). Women’s work? The distribution and pres-tige of portfolios in the Canadian provinces. Governance,...
  • Thomas, M., & Bodet, M. A. (2013). Sacrificial lambs, women candidates, and districtcompetitiveness in Canada. Electoral Studies, 32(1),...
  • Tripp, A. M. (2015). Women and power in post-conflict Africa. Cambridge UniversityPress.
  • Tripp, A. M. (2016). Women’s mobilisation for legislative political representation inAfrica. Review of African Political Economy, 43(149),...
  • Tripp, A. M., Casimiro, I., Kwesiga, J., & Mungwa, A. (2009). African women’s move-ments. Changing Political Landscapes.
  • Tripp, A. M., & Kang, A. (2008). The global impact of quotas: On the fast track toincreased female legislative representation. Comparative...
  • Volden, C., Wiseman, A. E., & Wittmer, D. E. (2018). Women’s issues and their fatesin the US Congress. Political Science Research and...
  • Whitaker, R. (2014). Tenure, turnover and careers in the European Parliament:MEPs as policy-seekers. Journal of European Public Policy, 21(10),...
  • Yoon, M. Y. (2016). Beyond quota seats for women in the Tanzanian legislature.Canadian Journal of African Studies / Revue canadienne des études...