Descriptive Representation and Negotiation: Gender Balance in the Committees of the Council of the European Union

Abstract

We study the descriptive representation of women and men in the negotiations of the Council of the EU. We find that even though women are systematically underrepresented, the number of women has increased significantly over time. Some of the patterns follow well-known traits, with women being less prominent at higher hierarchical levels and in “hard” policy areas. We also discover a significant effect of gender equality at the domestic level on the gender balance of states’ delegations in the Council committees. Furthermore, we find a strong negative effect of the number of years a state has been a member of the EU on the presence of women in its delegation, which may relate to the gradual development of gendered institutions at the domestic level.