Description
The introduction of gender quotas has significantly increased women's representation in national legislatures-not only in democracies but also in many autocracies. To what extent has the growing number of women in authoritarian legislatures granted them more power and influence? What conditions help or hinder women's political participation under autocratic regimes? And what does the role of women tell us about the politics of authoritarianism today?
Drawing on a decade of fieldwork and a vast data set collected across the Middle East and North Africa, Marwa Shalaby develops a new theory of women's political representation in authoritarian regimes. She examines the dynamics of women's political inclusion in three Arab monarchies, Morocco, Jordan, and Kuwait, with varying levels of quota implementation and where the strength and capacity of political parties differ widely. Shalaby demonstrates that the degree to which individual parties have been institutionalized plays a significant role in women's legislative behavior and political power. Parties play integral roles in recruiting, cultivating, supporting, and elevating female candidates in contexts where women have been excluded from existing networks of power, in nondemocratic systems as well as democracies. Although the introduction of quota systems has expanded women's numerical presence, the absence of institutionalized parties has limited their ability to gain influence. Nuanced and incisive, Varieties of Power offers grounded, comparative insights into the study of gender and politics, political representation, and authoritarianism in the Middle East and North Africa.
About the Author
Marwa Shalaby is an assistant professor of political science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is the coeditor of Empowering Women After the Arab Spring (2016).
Reviews
Varieties of Power is a fascinating and groundbreaking study of women's political representation in authoritarian contexts. Shalaby provides compelling empirical evidence from the Middle East and North Africa to examine whether this trend is translating into real political power, focusing on the crucial role of party institutionalization in shaping women's political influence. The book is a cornerstone for scholars of authoritarianism and gender and politics in the region. -- Aili Mari Tripp, Vilas Research Professor of Political Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Empirically rich and theoretically interesting, Marwa Shalaby's Varieties of Power offers insights to students of authoritarianism, gender, institutions, political parties, representation, and Middle East politics. An important contribution to the study of comparative politics. -- Ellen Lust, Cornell University and the University of Gothenburg
Shalaby has written an outstanding account on women's substantive political representation in MENA. She insightfully argues that political party institutionalization is important for women's representation. Through careful qualitative and quantitative case study research in Morocco, Jordan and Kuwait, Shalaby showcases the ways in which authoritarianism impedes women's political empowerment. -- Amaney A. Jamal, Edwards S. Sanford Professor of Politics and International Affairs Dean, Princeton University
Book Information
ISBN 9780231218658
Author Marwa Shalaby
Format Hardback
Page Count 336
Imprint Columbia University Press
Publisher Columbia University Press
Drawing on a decade of fieldwork and a vast data set collected across the Middle East and North Africa, Marwa Shalaby develops a new theory of women's political representation in authoritarian regimes. She examines the dynamics of women's political inclusion in three Arab monarchies, Morocco, Jordan, and Kuwait, with varying levels of quota implementation and where the strength and capacity of political parties differ widely. Shalaby demonstrates that the degree to which individual parties have been institutionalized plays a significant role in women's legislative behavior and political power. Parties play integral roles in recruiting, cultivating, supporting, and elevating female candidates in contexts where women have been excluded from existing networks of power, in nondemocratic systems as well as democracies. Although the introduction of quota systems has expanded women's numerical presence, the absence of institutionalized parties has limited their ability to gain influence. Nuanced and incisive, Varieties of Power offers grounded, comparative insights into the study of gender and politics, political representation, and authoritarianism in the Middle East and North Africa.
About the Author
Marwa Shalaby is an assistant professor of political science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is the coeditor of Empowering Women After the Arab Spring (2016).
Reviews
Varieties of Power is a fascinating and groundbreaking study of women's political representation in authoritarian contexts. Shalaby provides compelling empirical evidence from the Middle East and North Africa to examine whether this trend is translating into real political power, focusing on the crucial role of party institutionalization in shaping women's political influence. The book is a cornerstone for scholars of authoritarianism and gender and politics in the region. -- Aili Mari Tripp, Vilas Research Professor of Political Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Empirically rich and theoretically interesting, Marwa Shalaby's Varieties of Power offers insights to students of authoritarianism, gender, institutions, political parties, representation, and Middle East politics. An important contribution to the study of comparative politics. -- Ellen Lust, Cornell University and the University of Gothenburg
Shalaby has written an outstanding account on women's substantive political representation in MENA. She insightfully argues that political party institutionalization is important for women's representation. Through careful qualitative and quantitative case study research in Morocco, Jordan and Kuwait, Shalaby showcases the ways in which authoritarianism impedes women's political empowerment. -- Amaney A. Jamal, Edwards S. Sanford Professor of Politics and International Affairs Dean, Princeton University
Book Information
ISBN 9780231218658
Author Marwa Shalaby
Format Hardback
Page Count 336
Imprint Columbia University Press
Publisher Columbia University Press
