'A Job in Politics Is Not for Women': Analysing Barriers to Women's Political Representation in CEE

Abstract

This article discusses women's political representation in Central & Eastern Europe in the fifteen years after the fall of the Berlin Wall & the adoption of liberal democratic political systems in the region. It highlights the deep-seated gender stereotypes that define women primarily as wives & mothers, with electoral politics seen as an appropriate activity for men, but less so for women. The article explores the ways in which conservative attitudes on gender roles hinders the supply of, & demand for, women in the politics of Central & Eastern Europe. It also discusses the manner in which the internalisation of traditional gender norms affects women's parliamentary behaviour, as few champion women's rights in the legislatures of the region. The article also finds that links between women MPs & women's organisations are weak & fragmented, making coalition-building around agendas for women's rights problematic.