Do women and men mayors differ in their role? Yes, in some important aspects

What is it about?

Women occupy leadership positions at all levels of government. By focusing on the mayoral office, based on a survey of around 2,600 European mayors, the study investigates whether women and male mayors differ in their social backgrounds, recruitment patterns and policy priorities. The resulting identikit of the ‘Urban European Woman Mayor’ points to important differences in the career path confirming the differences in policy priorities.

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Why is it important?

While woman roles in executive positions had been extensively investigated and referred to national legislatures, other venues remain under-researched. By focusing on the mayoral office, this article aims at contributing to fill the research gap regarding the local government arena and specifically local executive positions.

Perspectives