How Women Become Political Actors: Female Candidates in Finnish Elections

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Finnish women attained universal suffrage as the first in Europe, together with the majority of men, in 1906. Since 1906 the number of women in the national parliament has increased from about 10 percent to more than one‐quarter. Earlier, women were more successful in the socialist parties, but nowadays this left‐right difference has diminished. Women candidates obtain least votes in the rural parties and in the least developed areas where pressure toward uniformity is high. The earlier east‐west difference has almost disappeared. Voting for female candidates is more common among women than among men. Education, employment, working in a white‐collar job, high family income, and urban residence increase the probability among women to vote for a female candidate. Among men, those in the highest and lowest social status groups are more favourable towards women candidates than those in between. Middle class men seem to be most afraid of losing status if more women become political actors.

This publication has 3 references indexed in Scilit: