Analysing legislatures using a feminist institutionalist lens

Abstract

This is an exciting time in the development of the gendered study of legislatures, both theoretically and empirically. Over the last decade, we have seen innovative work employing new theoretical approaches, as well as a host of empirical studies in both the Global North and South. As a contribution, this state-of-the-art article brings together two elements that form a key part of this recent work: an important theoretical approach, feminist institutionalism (FI); and an important empirical case, the European Parliament (EP), which has been uniquely systematically and innovatively explored over a sustained period. The article explores how both elements can inform the other and shows how bringing them together adds to our understanding through the development and implementation of an analytical framework to structure the gendered analysis of legislatures, before considering how these insights might inform future research agendas in FI.