Raluca-Beatrice Geantă (geantaraluca25@gmail.com)
Faculty of Business and Administration, University of Bucharest
Cătălin Raiu (catalin.raiu@faa.unibuc.ro)
Faculty of Business and Administration, University of Bucharest
Laura Mina-Raiu (laura.minraiu@amp.ase.ro – corresponding author)
Faculty of Administration and Public Management, Bucharest University of Economic Studies
Abstract
This paper offers a comprehensive analysis of women’s political representation within democratic decision-making institutions, focusing primarily on the European Parliament. The study aims to assess the proportionality and fairness of women’s representation in a core institution of European democracy, tracing its evolution from 1979 to 2024. Employing a rigorous statistical approach, the research combines demographic and electoral data analysis with a review of specialized literature and comparative frameworks to explore patterns and dynamics of gender representation.
Findings confirm a significant and continuous increase in women’s presence within the European Parliament, rising from 16% in 1979 to 41% in 2019, with a slight decline to 39% in 2024. This trend reflects broader societal transformations and advances in gender equality, supported in part by the implementation of gender quotas. The study further validates the hypothesis that left-wing parties across the EU are more likely to promote and support female candidates than their right-wing counterparts.
Despite notable progress, the research identifies ongoing disparities both between member states and among European Parliament political groups, underlining the need for more effective and context-specific policy measures. The findings advocate for continued efforts to enhance women’s political inclusion, emphasizing that gender-balanced representation is essential for strengthening democratic legitimacy and fostering greater social cohesion within the EU.
Keywords: political representation, European Parliament, gender equality, EU gender quotas
JEL Classification: D63, D72
