Equality of recruitment: Gender parity in French National Assembly elections

Abstract

This research centers on the effects of the newly mandated gender parity on French electoral politics. We examine the results from the 2002 National Assembly elections. Our findings suggest that this Parity Law contributed to the modest increase in the number of female deputies elected to the National Assembly, but that the electoral success rate for female candidates declined from the previous elections in 1997. This result appears to have been affected by two factors: (1) a greater-than-average number of female candidates were affiliated with the Socialist party—the party that lost control of the government in this election and (2) many female candidates were running against male incumbents. Multivariate analysis suggests that, after these two factors are controlled for, female candidates were more likely to be elected in open seat contests than were male candidates. Preliminary analysis of roll call votes in the two most recent (1997–2004) legislative sessions suggests that party, not gender, is the main determinant of voting behavior.

Notes

1 In 2001, with only 10.9% female legislators, France was ranked second to the last among EU members.

2 See also Dahlerop, 1988; Kolinsky, 1991; Phillips, 1991.

3 For an excellent analysis of the history of the French parity movement, see Mazur (2001).

4 Deputies who become government ministers must relinquish their seats to a substitute (suppléant). Gaspard, Servan-Schreiber, and Le Gall (1997) note that these substitutes are more often male, and the number of female deputies in the National Assembly often decreases once these ministerial appointment are made.

5 Allwood and Wadia (2000) argue that an additional reason why female candidates are less likely to be placed in winnable elections is due to the widespread use in France of multiple mandates (cumul des mandats) that allow candidates for the National Assembly to also hold a local office such a deputy-mayor.