Gender-Targeted Public Funding and Female Parliamentary Representation

Roughly one-fifth of countries worldwide have adopted gender-targeted public funding (GTPF) to counterbalance systemic barriers faced by women in the electoral process. Despite growing popularity, comprehensive cross-national evidence of the effects of GTPF on descriptive representation remains limited. Using time-series cross-sectional analysis and controlling for a wide range of institutional, social, and economic factors, this study examines 1,183 elections across 158 countries, finding that GTPF positively influences women’s parliamentary representation. This effect is strongest where subsidies are earmarked for promoting women in politics, or eligibility for public funding is tied to gender balance. We find no evidence of an effect for models based on the allocation (or reduction) of subsidies to parties based on gender targets. Representing the most extensive empirical examination of GTPF to date, the findings make key contributions to research on political finance and provide valuable insights for policymakers seeking to design funding systems that advance gender equality.