Past research suggests a link between descriptive and substantive representation, with more women in elected positions leading to better representation of women’s interests. While past research has primarily focused on the actions of individual women as candidates and / or legislators, we have less knowledge of the extent to which parties as a whole appeal to male and female voters. For example, how do different institutional contexts shape the relationship between parties’ gender appeals and women's representation in high-profile positions? This paper provides the first systematic cross-national analysis linking party electoral strategies to women's descriptive representation within parties. Drawing on 475 party-year observations from eight European countries between 2000 and 2025, we examine whether the sex of the party leader and the share of women in its parliamentary delegation affects how parties appeal to women in their manifestos. Our comparative framework leverages institutional differences, including electoral systems, party structures, and the presence of candidate quotas, to identify factors that promote or constrain alignment between parties' diversity of representation and gendered voter appeals. The findings contribute to theories of party organisation and women's representation by showing how institutional environments shape parties' strategic calculations about gender.
