Is there a ‘woman advantage’? Gendered perceptions of candidate nominations in Finland

Amid debates about the strategic benefits of nominating women, we investigate perceptions of a ‘woman advantage’ among successfully nominated candidates in Finland. We propose two competing mechanisms: one suggests men perceive a ‘woman advantage’ due to the rising representation of women in politics; and the other argues women are more likely to perceive such an advantage based on direct recruitment experiences. Drawing on the 2019 Finnish Comparative Candidate Survey and register data on women’s representation within parties, we find that most candidates believe being a woman offers at least some advantage. However, women are more likely than men to perceive this advantage, supporting the second mechanism. Among women, higher levels of women’s representation on party lists are linked to a reduced sense that being a woman is advantageous. Overall, our results suggest that nominated women candidates in Finland are more sensitive to the gendered context of candidate selection than men.