The gender dimension of representation: Women as a small minority

The extent and enhancement of women's participation in politics have, for several decades, been not only a field of academic research but also an area of policymaking and implementation. The persistent inequality in the rates of women's and men's participation in parliaments and government compositions is systematically studied in an effort to explore—and consequently combat—the causes of this male dominance. This is because the underrepresentation of women should not (and must not) be regarded merely as a problem of lack of representation but as an issue of "eliminating exclusion and promoting social justice."

For this reason, it is crucial to identify the factors associated with this exclusion, as well as the mechanisms linked to its reinforcement or weakening.