The gender gap in political participation in Muslim-majority countries

Abstract

This study offers a comprehensive investigation of the gender gap in political participation among 13 Muslim-majority nations using World Values Survey data and applying multilevel analyses. It reveals a substantial gender gap, with men being significantly more likely to be politically active compared to women. As suggested in studies on advanced Western democracies, this gap can be partly explained by gender differences in socioeconomic characteristics and political attitudes. Furthermore, our analysis shows major cross-national differences in the extent of the gender gap among Muslim-majority nations. In contrast to what we had expected, these cross-national differences cannot be explained by levels of state Islamisation, modernisation or societal gender equality. Implications of these findings and suggestion for further research are discussed.