Gender and political careers in Latin America: the gap in lawmaker longevity

Mercedes García Montero, Profesora titular de Ciencia Política e investigadora, Instituto de Iberoamérica, Universidad de Salamanca. mercegar@usal.es. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9598-449X

Cristina Rivas Pérez, Profesora ayudante doctor de Ciencia Política e investigadora, Instituto de Iberoamérica, Universidad de Salamanca. crisrivas@usal.es. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0880-4316 

 This article analyses Latin American women MPs’ prospects of developing a legislative career that can grant them a stable pathway within parliament. Based on data for 18 Latin American countries from the Latin American Elites project (PELA-USAL), a range of different determinants are tested that potentially impact parliamentarians’ longevity: ambition and dedication, political career, political party and the sociodemographic characteristics of the MPs themselves. For female members of parliament, ta comparison is made of the relative importance of factors that the literature on gender has found to be significant. The findings reveal that parliamentary careers are gendered, as the factors that affect the likelihood of continuing in office differ between male and female lawmakers. 

Keywords: Latin America, gender, lawmaker longevity, political career, ambition, political party

How to cite this article: García Montero, Mercedes y Rivas Pérez, Cristina. «Género y carreras políticas en América Latina: la brecha en la permanencia legislativa». Revista CIDOB d’Afers Internacionals, n.º 127 (abril de 2021), p. 63-93. DOI: https://doi.org/10.24241/rcai.2021.127.1.63

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