Why Numbers Are Not Enough: Gender and Power in the French Parliament

Summarizing the findings of a major book project, this paper argues that boosting women’s presence in parliament is a necessary but not sufficient condition for women’s political empowerment. I use the French parliament as a case study to demonstrate how gender inequalities throughout women’s careers affect political influence and policy-making, even as the number of women MPs increases. A feminist institutionalist framework demonstrates how gendered informal rules advantage men, constrain women and perpetuate gendered imbalances of power. My study of the French parliament spans a twenty-year timeframe, during which women’s presence increased from 12% to 39% of MPs. I explore gendered pathways into parliament and how they help to give men both a head start and an enduring advantage over women. I then examine multiple dimensions of parliamentary activity, from committee assignments and leadership roles to policy preferences and debate participation. I demonstrate that increases in women’s presence in parliament do have a positive impact on women’s empowerment and substantive representation. However, the cultures, norms and structures within parliament are slow to change and continue to favour men. Women also have shorter political careers than men, resulting in a seniority gap that hinders women’s access to greater positions of power. I conclude that, while gender quotas can be effective in producing a rapid increase in women’s presence, they must sit alongside additional, long-term strategies to level the playing field for women.