Biin, Helen – Women’s Presence in Estonian Parliament, the Influence of Political Parties

Biin, Helen – Women’s Presence in Estonian Parliament, the Influence of Political Parties

Õppe-/uurimisasutus: Central European University
Osakond/õppetool: Department of Gender Studies
Uurimuse juhendaja: Milica G. Antic, Eva Fodor
Lehekülgi: 70
Uurimuse tüüp: Magistritöö

Kokkuvõte: This research explores the gendered aspects of legislative recruitment criteria, the attitudes of party gatekeepers towards women’s participation in political decision-making and towards the implementation of gender equality strategies in Estonia. The analysis is based on interviews with the gatekeepers of eight political parties and the candidate lists for the parliamentary elections in 1992, 1995, 1999 and 2003 in Estonia. Two hypotheses – legislative recruitment criteria are male-biased, and party gatekeepers hold unfavorable attitudes towards the implementation of gender equality strategies, are tested.
The results show that the attributes, which are required from the candidate in order to gain nomination to highest-rank positions, are more easily accessible for men. In addition, the male and female candidates on the electoral lists are compared on the basis of education, occupation, age and incumbency. It became evident that women in the top-rank positions on the lists excel men in all of the abovementioned attributes. In addition, party gatekeepers expressed adverse attitudes towards gender equality mechanisms, and demonstrated considerable unawareness and ignorance regarding the inequality of opportunities and the variety of gender equality strategies.

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