Is Knowledge Power? Women’s Education and Political Empowerment in Latin America and the Caribbean
Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Keywords
Gender Equality, Latin America, Political Empowerment, Education, Gender Quotas, Feminism
Department
Political Science
Major
Political Science
Abstract
This project explores the relationship between women’s educational attainment and political empowerment in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). Using Lieberman’s Nested Analysis (LNA), this project employs mixed methods to uncover the contextual nuances between the two variables. The quantitative analysis draws data from the “Educational Attainment” and “Political Empowerment” subindices of the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Index (GGGI) across twenty-six countries in LAC over ten years. Despite the widespread idea that increasing women’s education can facilitate political empowerment, there was no statistically significant relationship between the two. The combination of regression analysis with qualitative case studies of Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, and Brazil reveals that education is a necessary, but not sufficient determinant of women’s political empowerment in LAC. Gender quotas with placement mandates and enforcement mechanisms are found to be effective in increasing political empowerment. This study reveals the complex nature of combating the gender gap, especially within the diverse context of LAC.
Faculty Mentor
Karie Riddle
Funding Source or Research Program
Not Identified
Location
Black Family Plaza Classroom 189
Start Date
22-3-2024 3:45 PM
End Date
22-3-2024 4:00 PM
Is Knowledge Power? Women’s Education and Political Empowerment in Latin America and the Caribbean
Black Family Plaza Classroom 189
This project explores the relationship between women’s educational attainment and political empowerment in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). Using Lieberman’s Nested Analysis (LNA), this project employs mixed methods to uncover the contextual nuances between the two variables. The quantitative analysis draws data from the “Educational Attainment” and “Political Empowerment” subindices of the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Index (GGGI) across twenty-six countries in LAC over ten years. Despite the widespread idea that increasing women’s education can facilitate political empowerment, there was no statistically significant relationship between the two. The combination of regression analysis with qualitative case studies of Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, and Brazil reveals that education is a necessary, but not sufficient determinant of women’s political empowerment in LAC. Gender quotas with placement mandates and enforcement mechanisms are found to be effective in increasing political empowerment. This study reveals the complex nature of combating the gender gap, especially within the diverse context of LAC.