Seeing is believing: Voluntary gender quotas change female leadership stereotypes

Abstract

Can gender quotas voluntarily adopted by political parties alter stereotypical views about women in politics? This article examines Namibia’s SWAPO, an electorally dominant party that introduced a 50/50 gender quota in 2013. Using an event study design, I analyze public attitudes before and after the 2014 elections, when women elected due to the quotas entered Parliament. The findings reveal that increased female representation had a positive impact on women’s belief that they should have equal access to political office, with no evidence of backlash among male respondents. These results underscore the role of voluntary party quotas in shaping public perceptions of female leadership, offering new insights into the symbolic effects of quotas in developing-country contexts.