Mapping Women’s Political Representation in Southeast Europe: Legacies, Reforms and Struggles

Dauti, Marsela and Antić Gaber, Milica and Čičkarić, Lilijana (2026) Mapping Women’s Political Representation in Southeast Europe: Legacies, Reforms and Struggles. In: Women’s Political Representation in Southeast European Politics. Edward Elgar Publishing, Chetenham UK, Northemton USA, pp. 2-17. ISBN 978 1 03535 054 4

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Abstract

Over the past decades, women have made important strides in politics across the world. Southeast European (SEE) countries are no exception. These countries experienced a dramatic decline in women’s political participation during the early post-socialist years, followed by important institutional reforms aimed at promoting gender equality in politics (Dahlerup & Antić Gaber, 2017; Hassenstab & Ramet, 2015). These efforts, driven by domestic activism, international norms, and European integration processes, have resulted in notable progress, at least in numerical terms. In many countries in the region, the share of women in national and subnational parliaments has increased substantially, signalling a shift in public discourse and formal political commitments to gender equality. Yet, as women’s visible presence in elected office has grown, new and pressing questions have emerged. What does the increased numerical presence mean for political representation in practice? What happens after women are elected; how do they participate in decision-making, and to what extent do they influence policy agendas? After years of gender equality reforms, what obstacles do women still face in politics? This volume seeks to explore these questions by examining not only the presence of women in politics, but also their roles, actions, experiences, and impacts. Specifically, it considers how women contribute to political processes through parliamentary activities, cross-party collaboration, advocacy on behalf of their constituents, and engagement with gender equality legislation. In doing so, the volume moves beyond descriptive representation to examine the substance and significance of women’s representation in politics across SEE.

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