Gender equality in political representation has been claimed to be one of the cornerstones of democracy. This study aims to explore gender distribution in Swedish local parliaments and test theories explaining higher female political representation. The study's framework and hypotheses are based on previous international and national research. Various socioeconomic, political, and physical factors that influence female representation were examined across 290 municipalities in Sweden. The municipalities were categorized into three groups to allows for a more in-depth analysis of the differences and conditions affecting women's political representation in different environments. The quantitative analysis revealed that political and socioeconomic factors were associated with a higher proportion of female representatives, while physical factors showed no correlation. The differences in gender representation between metropolitan and rural municipalities were minimal, but the covariation between factors varied across the three municipal groups. Votes for left-wing parties were strongest associated with a higher proportion of female representatives in metropolitan areas, whereas education level also played a significant role in other municipalities. Interestingly, the study found a stronger correlation between the proportion of women in municipal councils and the education level of men rather than women, suggesting a potential avenue for future investigation.
2023-06-01