Contending with disadvantage: women MPs’ coping strategies in gendered parliaments

Abstract

The representation of women in politics has improved significantly in recent decades, yet the political system in most countries is still male dominated. Thus, women legislators suffer from a disadvantaged status due to the formal and informal rules of the legislature. In this article, we explore the behavioral coping strategies that women legislators adopt to deal with their unique challenges and maximize their influence within this gendered environment. We base our investigation, which is rooted in a qualitative feminist approach, on an interpretive reading of 29 in-depth interviews with Israeli women legislators. The results indicate that they use three coping strategies: social networking, compensating, and distancing themselves from gendered stereotypes regarding women. Using an intersectional lens to analyze the interviews, we also account for differences among women legislators in their strategies, specifically focusing on legislators with intersectional identities, such as Arab-Palestinian women. Our study demonstrates how gender stereotypes continue to shape and structure the parliamentary arena, and the long road that still lies ahead to achieving true gender equality in parliaments and society.