Public Perception on the Recent Implementation of Gender Quotas: A Case Study in Sierra Leone
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Date
2024-05
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The Ohio State University
Abstract
Gender quotas have been posed as a solution to gender inequality and a lack of women’s representation. Addressing if a gender quota achieves more descriptive representation of women or substantive representation of women can provide a tool for measuring the efficacy of these quotas. This study investigates if the quota fulfills more substantive or descriptive representation for women and hypothesizes that the quota incorporates both types of representation based on the differing gender focuses of Sierra Leoneans. Sierra Leone ranks 181 out of 191 on the United Nations Gender Inequality index and as a means of improving women’s equality, the country passed a gender quota in November of 2022 that mandated that women receive 30% of elected government positions (Choat). Sierra Leone’s recent implementation of a gender quota makes this country a prime case study when investigating these quotas. In addition, the use of public opinion surveys allows the public’s perception of this gender quota to be revealed. Through using the Afrobarometer questionnaire data in Sierra Leone, specific survey questions were analyzed to produce qualitative data for both women’s substantive and descriptive representation. For women’s descriptive representation, a majority of Sierra Leoneans indicated the importance of governmental support of women’s equality and advancing women’s leadership opportunities. For substantive representation, gender differences between important issues in the country necessitated the importance of women representatives to advocate for women’s needs. The public opinion data indicates that Sierra Leoneans have a need for both descriptive and substantive representation and the quota can be a means of achieving this desire.
Description
Center for Ethics and Human Values Award
Honorable Mention in Business, Society and International Relations: Denman Undergraduate Research Forum
Honorable Mention in Business, Society and International Relations: Denman Undergraduate Research Forum
Keywords
Sierra Leone, Gender Quotas, Public Perception