Legislatures as Gendered Organizations: Challenges and Opportunities for Women’s Empowerment as Political Elites

Abstract

This chapter focuses on opportunities for and limitations to women’s global political empowerment at the organizational/institutional level by examining how legislative committee organizations institutionalize gender. Building from theories of gendering new institutions, gendered organizations, and gender as a social structure, this chapter suggests ways we can use these theories to better understand gendered legislatures as important fields of women’s political (dis)empowerment. A descriptive analysis illustrates women’s segregation within a masculine/men’s dominated committee space. Electing more women does not guarantee more empowerment for women in committees. The findings highlight women’s empowerment as an organizational outcome that can vary in substance and scope. I conclude with suggestions for specific steps that can be taken to develop these ideas to understand women’s political empowerment worldwide.