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Brown Bag Seminar with Dr Margherita Negri, University of St Andrews Female Representation, Political Engagement, and Gender Attitudes in the UK

Abstract: This paper examines the impact of electing female politicians on political engagement and gender attitudes in the UK. Focusing on local elections, we leverage a regression discontinuity design applied to close electoral races, using survey and electoral data to estimate the causal effects of female political representation at the ward level. Our findings reveal a gender-differentiated response: while the election of a female candidate significantly increases political interest among women by approximately 4.5% relative to their baseline interest, it leads to a 5% decline among male respondents. Additionally, we construct a Gender Balance Beliefs Index to assess shifts in gender attitudes, finding modest yet significant effects for specific beliefs on maternal roles, with a slightly conservative shift observed for both genders. When extending our analysis to the election of female Members of Parliament (MPs), we find no discernible impact on political interest or gender attitudes, highlighting potential differences in symbolic influence across levels of office. Further analysis indicates that the presence of a female MP modestly encourages female participation in subsequent local elections. These findings underscore the nuanced ways in which female representation shapes political engagement and attitudes, with implications for understanding the broader societal impacts of increasing gender diversity in politics.