Mortality, development, democracy, political representation
This piece provides further overview of our research on female political empowerment, political-economic conditions, and population health in a cross-national context.
Gender equality in political participation may make a difference. Ross Macmillan, Naila Shofia, and Wendy Sigle show that women’s presence in national legislatures above a threshold of around 30% is associated with significant declines in childhood and maternal mortality, even after controlling for other features of women’s status like education and labor force participation. This association is particularly strong where economic and social development is low and democracy weak.