Do Gender Quotas Boost Autocrats' International Image?

The global spread of gender quotas is a major institutional development.

Key Finding: Survey experiments show audiences rated autocracies higher on democracy scales when women's descriptive representation was greater. They were also more supportive of providing foreign aid to these countries.

### Reputation Boosts

• Audiences' Perception
• Countries adopting gender quotas are often electoral autocracies with stark gender inequalities.
• Survey respondents rated autocracies higher on democracy scales when women's descriptive representation was greater.
• Audiences were more supportive of providing foreign aid to these countries.

### Broader Implications for Reputation, Human Rights & Foreign Aid Attitudes