Legislative Gender Quota and Female Representation: Evidence from Ministerial Appointments

Abstract

Do legislative gender quotas increase female representation in government cabinets? Informal theories suggest that a supply shock of female legislators would enhance women's presence at the highest echelon of power. I focus on the gradual implementation of effective-not nominal-gender quotas across 160 countries from 1966 to 2015. Using a staggered difference-indifferences design, I find that gender quotas increase the proportion of female ministers by 4.9 percentage points, with effects emerging in the long term (10-20 years into the reform). However, this effect does not extend to highprestige portfolio positions. These findings underscore the importance of sustained affirmative action in breaking the glass ceiling.