Direct democracy closes the gender gap in political engagement, signaling women's influence.

This article explores how direct democracy promotes women's political participation. It proposes that direct democratic mechanisms actively encourage female involvement by signaling system openness to diverse perspectives (including women), confirming their political competency, and highlighting their stake in policy decisions affecting them directly. 📊 Research Design: Sweden serves as a compelling case study following the introduction of universal suffrage in 1920. The implementation of direct democracy at municipal level was determined by population thresholds set after this constitutional change. 🔍 Analysis & Findings: Using data from historical records and leveraging regression analysis, we demonstrate that municipalities with some form of direct democracy implemented post-1920 exhibited a significantly smaller gender gap in electoral turnout compared to those relying solely on representative institutions, even when controlling for municipality size and pre-reform characteristics. 🔍 Implication: These findings suggest that the mere presence of direct democratic tools can change perceptions about women's roles in politics, accelerating their inclusion rather than just providing access.