Terrorism and gender inequalities in politics: An empirical analysis

Abstract

The aim of this study is to analyze the effects of terrorism on gender inequality in politics for a panel of 180 countries over the period 2000-2020. Using generalized method of moments in a system, the results obtained reveal that terrorism reduces women's political representation, thereby increasing gender inequality in politics. This result remained robust after modifying the measure of women's political representation and terrorism. However, further analysis showed that, effect of international sanctions as moderators was limited in time, while military spending and autocracy amplify gender inequality in politics during periods of terrorism. Based on these findings, we propose that leaders of countries affected by terrorism promote democratic norms and that the international community prioritize sanctions that promote gender norms in target countries.