Narrowing the Gap or Closing the Door: What Kinds of Women Get Jobs as Legislators

Previous studies of the impact of gender upon legislatures have shown conflicting findings regarding the backgrounds, qualifications and types of men and women serving as legislators. Women appear to have narrowed the gap in terms of some of these background variables but still face significant obstacles. This study examines the impact of major institutional factors upon the roles of men and women. Survey and interview methodology compare two important aspects of institutionalization: The U.S. type legislature is compared with a major parliamentary system (Australia), and professionalized legislators are compared with the non‐professionalized. The study finds that women have achieved parity with men in regard to education and employment history, regardless of the type of system. However, there are significant differences in incumbency, with women being relatively recent entrants into the Australian system. Moreover, women in Australian parliaments encounter more problems regarding child‐care and marital responsibilities than their U.S. counterparts.