Backlash after Quotas

Moral Panic as a Soft Repression Tactic against Women Politicians

Bibliographic Data

ID6355176
AuthorsMyriam Shiran (0000-0003-1766-6178, Purdue University West Lafayette, corresponding author)
Year2024
Volume20
Issue3
Pages526-552
Publication date2024-09-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenuePolitics & Gender (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1743-923X • E-ISSN: 1743-9248
PublisherCambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1017/s1743923x24000011
OpenAlexW4391748829
LanguageEN
Citations received5
References cited109

Advocates of gender quotas emphasize their transformative potential for women’s political participation. Yet evidence on the symbolic effects of quotas remains inconclusive, with some studies uncovering significant backlash after implementation. Although elite resistance to quotas has been posited as an explanation, the underlying mechanisms generating negative effects remain underexplored. This study proposes the utilization of “moral panic” by elites as a mechanism of resistance. By leveraging their media influence and employing conservative moral rhetoric, elites engineer moral panic, framing women’s political engagement as detrimental to social order and gender hierarchies. Such panic aims to incite public opposition and rationalize elite resistance to progressive changes. Notably, this tactic is more prevalent in countries with reserved-seat quotas, where elites possess limited control over electoral outcomes. Using an original dataset encompassing politician names and genders, I analyze over 150,000 news articles from 2000 to 2021 across 10 sub-Saharan African countries. The findings indicate that quota-induced gains in women’s representation are followed by significant increases in conservative ethical language in news coverage of women politicians, particularly in countries with reserved-seat quotas. These findings bear important implications for gender equality in politics and shed light on the dynamics of backlash after quota implementation

Backlash · Elite · Framing (construction · Moral panic · Opposition (politics · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Resistance (ecology · Rhetoric · Sociology · Gender Politics and Representation · Gender, Feminism, and Media · Gender, Security, and Conflict · Law · Psychology · Social Psychology