Examining female membership and leadership of legislative committees in Jordan

Abstract

The recent increase in female political representation in the parliaments of the Middle East and North Africa has prompted significant interest among scholars and policymakers. While research examining the dynamics of women’s numerical presence has proliferated, studies examining the role of female legislators within these bodies remain scarce. To bridge this gap, this chapter focuses on one of the most understudied aspects in MENA’s legislatures: female committee assignments. We are particularly interested in understanding the dynamics of female deputies’ committee leadership and membership in the Jordanian lower chamber. This chapter analyzes variations in women’s committee assignments since the introduction of the gender quota in 2003 using original legislative data supplemented by qualitative interviews and legislator-level data.