Parenthood and political careers. Evidence from Sweden

How does parenthood influence politicians’ chances of reelection and their political seniority? While economics has extensively explored the (gendered) nature and persistence of the parenthood career ‘penalty’, our understanding of how the gendered division of childcare shapes political careers remains limited. This gap is significant, as evidence of a persistent (gendered) parenthood penalty has implications for all dimensions of representation, including symbolic and substantive representation. In this paper, part of our new project on parenthood and political careers in Sweden, we leverage comprehensive Swedish registry data to examine the gendered effects of parenthood on politicians’ career longevity. Our dataset includes validated, individual-level information on the precise timing of childbirth, the use and duration of parental leave, and complete records of political candidates and officeholders spanning more than four decades. Specifically, we investigate whether becoming a parent while serving as an elected official decreases the likelihood of running for reelection, getting reelected, and whether the timing and duration of parental leave affect the overall length of a political career. We also assess whether any parenthood penalty applies equally to men and women. Drawing on nearly one million individual candidate-year observations, we shed light on the enduring political parenthood penalty and its gender dynamics within a context often regarded as a global leader in promoting gender-equal access to politics and political seniority.