Strengthening Female Political Representation in Nepal
by Stefano Fiorin, Michael Callen, Rohini Pande, and Soledad Prillaman
Evolving norms about female employment are seldom accompanied by changes in norms about female leadership. We conducted an experiment with female ward members in Nepal, elected to seats reserved for women in 2017, to test whether providing information about the gender composition of selection committees and the electability of women into open (not quota-protected) seats could correct their misperceptions, could also raise the probability that female ward members would seek and secure a nomination for higher positions in the 2022 local election, and would get elected for these positions. The results of this agenda will substantiate the link between norms and the multiplicity of heterogeneous factors that affect their change, opening the avenue for new policies to improve women's opportunities in the economy and politics.