SUCCESS: Gendered dynamics in political discourse: Exploring MPs’ reputations and inclusivity in parliamentary settings

Laura Chaqués-Bonafont & Xavier Fernandéz i Marìn (University of Barcelona) and Emanuela Lombardo (University Complutense of Madrid) will present on this SUCCESS seminar.

The two speaker will give a speech based on their paper: Gendered Dynamics in Political Discourse: Exploring MPs; Reputations and Inclusivityin Parliamentary Settings.Their paper explores under which conditions MPs' reputation affects their participation in political debates across policy areas. Building on gender, political representation, and parliamentary behavior studies the paper argues MPs' seniority and academic and professional backgrounds enhance their reputation as experienced and effective policymakers, making them likely to participate in political debates. MP’s ability to build a reputation as a trustworthy policy actor requires the time and opportunities necessary to accumulate experience, knowledge, leadership positions, and a track record of accomplishments.

Also, MPs with academic and professional backgrounds in specific policy areas equip them to be more active participants in discussions tied to their expertise. Yet, gender norms and stereotypes also play a significant role in shaping perceptions of MPs' expertise across policy areas, contributing to the underrepresentation of women in political debates about issues traditionally considered non-traditional for them. To investigate these dynamics, the study utilizes extensive datasets containing information about MPs' socioeconomic characteristics, parliamentary committees, and MPs oral questions in plenary and committee meetings in the Spanish and Catalan Parliaments from 1996 to 2023. The findings offer valuable insights into the complexities influencing women's involvement in political debates in multilevel systems of governance from a comparative perspective.