Should I Stay or Should I Go? How Sexism Shapes Women’s Expressive Political Ambition

A persistent gender gap in political ambition continues to shape women’s access to and advancement within political office. While previous research has identified structural, institutional, and individual-level barriers - such as recruitment biases, gendered socialisation, and family–work constraints - less attention has been paid to how sexism experienced within politics itself influences women’s desire to enter, remain, and progress in political careers. Moving beyond studies that focus solely on officeholders, this research investigates how sexist attitudes, behaviours, and environments impact women candidates’ ambition. It examines electoral candidates’ ambition to run again for the same mandate (static ambition), to advance their political career by aspiring to a more prestigious mandate (progressive ambition) or to not seek reelection (discrete ambition). To answer our research questions, we draw on in-depth interviews with 21 women candidates who ran in the 2024 regional, federal, and European elections in Belgium. Our analysis reveals how sexism can erode women’s political drive and ambition, not only undermining their own prospects but also dampening their inclination to inspire ambition in other women - a phenomenon we term a lack of ambition by proxy. Yet for some, sexist experiences instead strengthen their determination and reinforce their commitment to political life. By incorporating sexism into theories of expressive political ambition, this paper broadens existing frameworks and advances our understanding of the gendered dynamics shaping political career trajectories. It highlights the importance of political environments that not only attract women but also support their sustained participation and advancement.