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Female MP candidates still lagging behind
Rebecca Adams
April 28th, 2015
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This article is more than 9 years old.
Proportionally more MPs though
Twice as many men are putting themselves forward (photo: Rama)
Recent research shows that every third candidate running for Parliament this year is a woman – fully a century on from the 1915 constitutional change that gave women the vote and right to run for office.
According to DR, of the 790 candidates who have registered so far ahead of this summer’s general election, 31 percent are women. The rate has remained stable since the 1980s.
Old boys’ network
Karina Kosiara-Pedersen, an associate professor of political science at the University of Copenhagen, told DR there were a number of reasons for the trend.
“Firstly, many graduates are recruited to the political parties, and very often they are men,” she said.
“And as many feminists will tell you, some parties are still dominated by the old boys’ network in which men tend to help each other.”
More successful than men
However, the old boys’ network won’t win you votes.
“Women perform electorally better in elections, as there is a tendency for women voters to prefer women over men,” Kosiara-Pedersen said.
“Likewise, women tend to have more sympathy for party leaders if they are female.”
And this is reflected in Parliament, where 39 percent of the MPs are female – the 14th highest rate in the world.
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