Women as policy makers and donors: Female legislators and foreign aid

Daniel Hicks, Joan Hamory Hicks and Beatriz Maldonado

European Journal of Political Economy, 2016, vol. 41, issue C, 46-60

Abstract: This paper investigates whether the gender composition of national legislatures in donor countries impacts the level, composition, and pattern of foreign aid. We provide evidence that the election of female legislators leads countries to increase aid both in total and as a percentage of GDP. Consistent with existing research examining domestic expenditures, we find that the empowerment of women in national legislatures is associated with a reallocation of aid flows in favor of education and health-related projects. These increased flows occur predominately through bilateral aid and reflect a redistribution of aid toward developing countries.

Keywords: Foreign aid; Female political representation; Gender preferences (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D70 F35 J16 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (47)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:poleco:v:41:y:2016:i:c:p:46-60

DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpoleco.2015.10.007

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