Replication Data for: The Gap Within: The Impact of Separate-Gender Polling Stations on Voter Turnout

To address the large and persistent gender gaps in political participation, governments across the world have adopted policies, such as the creation of segregated voting facilities, that are expected to encourage turnout. Despite their widespread adoption, we know nothing about the impact of such policies on voter turnout. This research note studies the impact of gender-segregated polling stations on women’s electoral turnout in Pakistan’s general election of 2018. We use a combination of large-scale administrative data, information from electoral policy documents, and qualitative interviews. By comparing female turnout at female-only polling stations to female turnout at mixed polling stations within a limited geographic area, we show that separate-gender polling stations decrease women’s voter turnout. Our findings present the first-ever empirical evidence on this question and add to the growing body of research that highlights the limitations of using gender-segregated tools to promote gender equality in developing countries.