Internal versus Institutional Barriers to Gender Equality: Evidence from British Politics
Abstract
Weekly lotteries determine which politicians ask the UK Prime Minister a question in front of a male-dominated, packed, and noisy chamber. Women are 12% less likely to submit questions than same-cohort men, and this gap does not close with lottery-induced experience asking a question, or with years of service. However, the gender gap almost fully closes after a switch to a format in which questions are asked to a smaller, quieter, audience. The switch differentially draws in women with quieter voices. Our findings support institutional change, rather than adaptation through experience, as a response to gender gaps in adversarial settings.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Gender Politics and Representation
Social Policy and Reform Studies
Publication details
- Journal / source
- American Economic Review
- Volume
- 116
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 1914–1953
- Publication date
- 30 April 2026
- Language
- EN