Departamento de Economía

Abstract: Using a dataset on electoral results of five consecutive local elections (2003-2019) from Spain, this paper aims to investigate the reasons behind the slow increase in women's participation in politics. In a closed-list proportional system, such as the Spanish municipal elections, list order is important as the higher candidates are positioned on the electoral list, the more likely they are to obtain a seat in the council. I explore whether the position held by female candidates with respect men on the party list in an election for a council seat can be a driver behind the low female political participation.