Gender (Gap), Social Norms and Stigma: Explaining the Gender Gap in RRP Voting

The gender gap in radical right voting has been analyzed in the literature through different perspectives, mostly focusing on gender differences in political attitudes and socio-demographic situation. Yet, case-based evidence suggests that an additional mechanism may be at play: the social stigma attached to radical right parties and women’s greater sensitivity to social norms. While recent studies have linked stigma to the broader dynamics behind support for these parties, they have largely neglected the gendered dimensions of this process. At the same time, emerging evidence indicates that among younger cohorts, the gender gap in radical right voting is widening rather than narrowing. This article addresses this puzzle by advancing a gendered account of stigma as a determinant of radical right support. Using survey data and a causal design across West European countries, it assesses the role of stigma in the gender gap in votes for RRPs and identifies further factors explaining this gap among younger cohorts.