The role of women in local politics remains limited, despite formal efforts for gender equality. The representation of female candidates and their election are lower compared to men. This situation affects the balance of political decision-making. The purpose of the thesis is to analyse the social factors that influence the low candidacy and election of women and to contribute to the understanding of the obstacles to greater representation of women in local politics.
The research is based on a quantitative approach. Data were collected using a five-point Likert scale survey among adult male and female voters in Slovenia. The analysis includes the use of descriptive statistics and analysis of variance for repeated measures. Two hypotheses were tested: that traditional norms have a greater influence on women's candidacy than gender stereotypes, and that social values have a greater influence on women's election than political culture and political scepticism.
The results confirm both hypotheses. Traditional norms are rated higher than gender stereotypes, indicating their greater influence on women's decision to run. Social values reached higher values than political culture and political scepticism, confirming their influence on the electability of female candidates. The findings show that social factors significantly influence women's political participation.
The results contribute to the understanding of the factors that influence the representation of women in local politics. They are useful in designing measures to promote women's candidacy and election. They are important for political parties, local communities and gender equality organizations. Further research could examine differences between local environments and women's experiences in local politics.
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