Between political women's visibility and benevolent sexism: Understanding bias against women in politics in Latin America

What is the nature of bias against women politicians in Latin America? Research focusing primarily on the U.S. context demonstrates that women candidates face demand-side barriers due to biases in the electorate. However, despite being considered one of the most conservative and machista regions globally, in Latin America, six countries have elected women presidents and most of them passed legislation to secure the presence of women at the legislative level. This is not to say that bias against women politicians does not exist in Latin America. In fact, overall, Latin American women are still underrepresented in politics. What it does suggest is that the nature of the bias may take distinct forms in the region. The paper's main objective is to explore the effects of three variables that affect how individuals evaluate women that differentiate Latin America from the literature's main study case: Visibility of female political leaders, perceptions of corruption, and trust in political institutions. Using data from 17 countries from the AmericasBarometer, the paper presents a complex scenario for women politicians in Latin America. On the one hand, it finds that individuals who have low levels of trust in political institutions and high levels of perceived corruption report less negative biases against women in politics. This is very much relevant in a region marked by democratic erosion and corruption. On the other hand, and contrary to some literature's expectations, the paper shows that experiencing a real woman in power does not increase the preference for women over men politicians. Actually, it decreases the perception of women's efficacy and transparency. Individuals living in municipalities with a woman mayor show more negative gender bias against women in politics, while individuals in countries with past women presidents show hesitation on women's skills for leadership. This paper contributes to our understanding of gender bias in Latin America and expands our knowledge regarding symbolic representation and benevolent sexism.