Unequal Steps Up the Ladder in Party Organization: Are Bourdieu’s Personal Capitals Gender-Neutral?

This paper examines gender differences in career advancement within party organizations, using Bourdieu’s theory on the role of personal capitals in upward mobility. We contribute to the literature on women’s chronic minority status in politics by testing the gender-neutrality of Bourdieu’s capital types (economic, cultural, and social). Our analysis draws on a unique dataset of 5,653 party delegates from twenty-two national congresses in Italy (2004–2019). Results show that personal capitals do not impact female and male delegates equally. Women, especially those with high cultural capital, are less likely to move up the ladder. Parties, as male-dominated institutions, tend to promote women with lower cultural capital, perhaps viewing them as more malleable. Our findings suggest that women face a “double barrier”—external and internal to parties—resulting in “double damage” that limits their chances of reaching leadership positions within political parties.