Powerful Women: Does Exposure Reduce Bias?
Author(s)
Beaman, Lori; Chattopadhyay, Raghabendra; Duflo, Esther; Pande, Rohini; Topalova, Petia
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Alternative title
POWERFUL WOMEN: DOES EXPOSURE REDUCE BIAS?
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Show full item recordAbstract
We exploit random assignment of gender quotas for leadership positions on
Indian village councils to show that prior exposure to a female leader is associated with electoral gains for women. After ten years of quotas, women are more likely to stand for, and win, elected positions in councils required to have a female chief councilor in the previous two elections. We provide experimental and survey evidence on one channel of influence—changes in voter attitudes. Prior exposure to a female chief councilor improves perceptions of female leader effectiveness and weakens stereotypes about gender roles in the public and domestic spheres.
Date issued
2009-11Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of EconomicsJournal
Quarterly Journal of Economics
Publisher
MIT Press
Citation
Beaman, Lori, et al. "Powerful Women: Does Exposure Reduce Bias?" Quarterly Journal of Economics, 124.4 (November 2009), pp.1497-1540.
Version: Final published version
ISSN
0033-5533