The Gender Gap in Political Power: Causes, Consequences, and Paths Forward

Why are women underrepresented in politics? What are the consequences of their exclusion? What can be done to increase women’s access to power? This talk explores the barriers that limit women's access to political office, including gaps in political ambition, voter bias, and elite-level resistance. It also examines how women's underrepresentation shapes policy outcomes, affecting the priorities governments pursue and citizens' relationships with the state. Drawing on evidence-based research, the presentation identifies practical tools to increase women's representation, such as political encouragement, candidate training, and electoral gender quotas. Designed for scholars, students, and public audiences, this session highlights data-driven strategies for understanding and addressing gender disparities in political representation. 

More About Diana O’Brien:

Diana Z. O’Brien is the Bela Kornitzer Distinguished Professor in the Department of Political Science at Washington University in St. Louis.

O’Brien earned her Ph.D. from WashU in 2012 and returned to the department as a professor in 2022. Her work focuses on the causes and consequences of women's political representation in high-income democracies — including in Europe and the United States — and across the globe. She explains when women are able access to traditionally male-dominated political posts and identifies barriers that continue to exacerbate their exclusion from office. O’Brien also documents how women’s inclusion changes politics, including demonstrating that electing more women affects policy outcomes and changes citizens’ perceptions of politics.

O’Brien has published numerous articles on these topics in top political science journals, including the American Political Science Review, American Journal of Political Science, and the Journal of Politics. This research has been awarded the American Political Science Association's Lawrence Longley Award, the Southern Political Science Association's Best Overall Paper Award and Marian Irish Award for best women and politics paper, the Midwest Political Science Association's Sophonisba Breckinridge Award for the best paper on the topic of women and politics, the Journal of Elections, Public Opinion and Parties best article award, and the GESIS Klingemann Prize. In honor of her achievements, O’Brien was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship in 2019. Her work on women and security portfolios has been supported by the United States National Science Foundation. News coverage of her research has appeared in The Washington Post, The Guardian, Newsweek, The Los Angeles Times, PBS and multiple international outlets. 

Beyond her individual accomplishments, O’Brien is also an active member of the broader gender and politics community. She is the founding editor of the Cambridge University Press Elements in Gender and Politics Series and a founding member of the EGEN network. She has served as an associate editor at Politics & Gender, president of the Midwest Women’s Caucus, and executive board member of the APSA Women, Gender, and Politics Research Section.