Political Ambition: The Effect of Gender Quotas on Ugandan Women

Authors

Jessica Weinfurter, Brigham Young University
Dr. Jessica Preece, Brigham Young University

Keywords

political ambition, gender quotas, Ugandan women, female political participation

College

Family, Home, and Social Sciences

Department

Political Science

Abstract

In an effort to promote female political participation in states with historically patriarchal political systems, many nations have implemented gender quotas. The belief behind this practice is that as female descriptive representation increases, women become inspired to increase their political activity, and society in general becomes more supportive of female political ambition and participation (Beaman et al.2012). The issue of gender quotas has inspired an explosion of research over the past decade. However, our current understanding of the long-term effects of gender quotas is still limited because many of the recent studies are focused on quota systems within developed or Westernized states. Currently, few studies analyze the effect of quota systems on female political participation in areas where local socio-cultural norms traditionally promote female subordination.

Recommended Citation

Weinfurter, Jessica and Preece, Dr. Jessica (2014) "Political Ambition: The Effect of Gender Quotas on Ugandan Women," Journal of Undergraduate Research: Vol. 2014: Iss. 1, Article 260.
Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/jur/vol2014/iss1/260