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The Conversation
The Conversation
Vladimir Chlouba, Assistant Professor of Leadership Studies, University of Richmond

Seeing women govern encourages support for women in politics – with no apparent backlash among men

Supporters of the South West Africa People's Organization gather at a campaign rally in Windhoek, Namibia, on Nov. 24, 2024. Simon Maina/AFP via Getty Images

Quotas designed to bring gender parity to parliaments have an overall positive impact on support for female political leadership – especially after women members of parliament take office. Furthermore, there is no evidence of a backlash among men.

That’s what I found in a study published in October 2025 looking at the impact of gender-parity quotas in Namibia, in sub-Saharan Africa.

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