A “Civilizing Influence”? The Impact of a Growing Proportion of Women on Parliamentary Debates

Historically, parliaments around the world have been dominated by men, and one consequence has been that the norms and informal rules surrounding legislative behaviour have also been shaped by men. In this paper, I look at the conduct and content of plenary debates within the French parliament. Historically, these debates have been infused with masculinity, combining a combative style with the use of heckling, interruptions and sexist interpellations. In interviews conducted in 2011 (when women were 18% of deputies), female politicians spoke of the tendency of male politicians to dominate the debate, speaking beyond their turn even when they had little to say, while women had to be concise and to the point just to get their voices heard. Meanwhile, a male deputy described the presence of women in the chamber as a “civilizing influence”, arguing that men had toned down their behaviour in the presence of women. I examine these claims using data spanning four parliaments (2002-7, 2007-12, 2012-17 and 2017-22). During this time, the proportion of women has increased from 12% to 39%. I explore the substantive content of two key debates from each parliamentary term, looking at the contributions made by men and women as well as the conduct of the debate. I ask whether the claims of my interviewees were valid at the time when women’s presence was low, and whether anything has changed as a result of growing feminisation. The findings illuminate both the gendered dynamics within legislatures, and the potential of gender quotas to change behavioural norms. Are numbers enough to ensure that women’s voices are heard?