Uncovering the gendered effects of interest, efficacy and agency on young people’s non-electoral political participation

Studies indicate that while men are more active in institutional forms of participation, young women tend to be involved in civic forms of participation. This divide may be linked to differences in reported interest levels: women tend to report lower interest in politics, resulting in lower political participation, specifically electoral participation. The framing of institutional politics as ‘masculine’ may deter women from participating in electoral activities, such as voting. However, women seem to state higher levels of interest when being asked about specific social issues. Another explanation for this difference in participatory behaviour may lie in the gendered differences in the perceptions of efficacy and agency. Young people are still in the process of developing a sense of self, and thus potential gender differences in political participation are assumed to develop during adolescence. Using survey data with young people aged 16 to 24 in the UK (N = 948), this paper examines the effects of self-reported levels of interest in politics and social issues, efficacy and agency on non-electoral participation, i.e. political activities taking place outside of political institutions. No significant gender difference was found in the average number of non-electoral activities participated in, but once politically active, young women were more likely to participate in non-electoral activities. For young women, higher levels of internal efficacy and agency were associated with an increase in non-electoral participation. In contrast, young men’s non-electoral participation increased with higher levels of collective efficacy. Two main conclusions can be drawn from the survey data analysis. One is that the commonly used measurement of interest in politics needs to be revised to include a more comprehensive and gender-inclusive understanding of ‘politics’. The other is that young people’s non-electoral political participation is linked to the perception of agency and efficacy. For young women, non-electoral participation is an issue of confidence and perceived ability, while for young men, the belief in the effectiveness of collective action is linked to increased political involvement. These findings are particularly relevant for schools and civic organisations working with young people to strengthen political participation and democratic values.