Wartime Violence Boosts Female Candidates, But Hinders Their Election

Article: Wartime Violence and Post-War Women's Representation

This paper examines how wartime violence shapes post-war women's representation. It analyzes Bosnia's municipal-level electoral data from pre- to post-conflict periods.

Data & Methods

• Dataset: Bosnia Municipal-Level Data (Pre-Post War Periods)
• Method: Comparative Analysis of Wartime Violence and Electoral Outcomes

Key Findings

• Candidacy Stage: Wartime violence increased opportunities for women to gain leadership skills, leading more female candidates.
• Electoral Stage: Past violence heightened threat perceptions among voters. Combined with gender stereotypes, this reduced voter support for female candidates.

Why It Matters

The findings reveal a complex, two-stage effect of wartime violence on women's political representation in post-conflict societies.