How parties redefine their positions if they are led by a woman: Empirical evidence for women’s green, alternative, and libertarian agenda

This article investigates how women as party heads impact party positions. It introduces the proposition that leadership by women is decisive for parties’ stances on sociocultural but not economic debates. I argue that this pattern is a consequence of dissimilar gender gaps in policy preferences across the two ideological dimensions at the elite level. To support this proposition, I study change in party positions in nineteen developed democracies around the world between 1995 and 2018. The evidence reveals that parties led by a woman tend to emphasize green, alternative, and libertarian stances. In particular sustainable growth, environmental protection, and freedom and human rights become more prominent in party manifestos under women leadership. Overall, these findings reveal the difference women make as critical actors and the conditions under which the presence of women in political offices translates into responsiveness towards female citizens.