What role does religiosity play in shaping electoral opportunities for women in Poland, a country deeply rooted in Catholic tradition? For Maciej Górecki, Professor from the University of Warsaw and an expert on women’s political representation, this question is central to his decade-long research into the factors influencing women’s participation in elections and governance. His interest deepened in 2011 when Poland introduced a gender quota law requiring a minimum percentage of women on party candidate lists. "This sparked my curiosity about the effects of quotas on representation," he said, describing how this structural change prompted him to expand his research agenda beyond his initial PhD focus.
In collaboration with colleagues, Górecki, whose fellowship is part of the EUI Widening Europe Programme, compared the impact of quotas in Poland, Belgium, and Greece, uncovering stark differences. "One hypothesis we considered – but couldn't fully test then – was that these differences were tied to varying levels of secularisation," he explained. While Poland and Greece are deeply religious societies, Belgium's advanced secularisation appears to have created a more favourable environment for women in politics. This insight led him to delve deeper into the relationship between religiosity and women's political representation in Poland. "Leveraging pandemic-era funding that couldn't be spent on travel, I acquired detailed county-level data on religious participation, collected by the Catholic Church. This allowed me to examine how religiosity influences women's political representation in different regions and at various electoral levels."
At the heart of his research is the influence of "religion-driven norms," which he defines in terms of Catholicism's hierarchical and authoritarian structure. "Catholicism enforces traditional gender norms, often framing men as suited for public and political roles while assigning women domestic and family-oriented responsibilities," he noted. Research supports this, showing that Protestant-majority countries in Europe generally exhibit higher levels of women's political participation due to the lack of similar hierarchical constraints. However, secularisation emerges as a critical factor. "In secularised societies, religious norms lose their grip, allowing more women to enter politics as candidates and elected officials," he explains, pointing to Belgium as an example.
His findings suggest that the effects of religiosity on women's electoral chances are not uniform. "The effects of religiosity on women's electoral fortunes vary depending on the level and stakes of the election," he says. "Interestingly, religiosity has a stronger negative impact in local elections, such as county council races, than in national parliamentary elections." At the local level, where elections are less ideologically charged, voters' personal attitudes – shaped by religiosity – play a more significant role. "Conversely, in national elections, parties like the populist right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) strategically include women on their tickets to broaden their appeal," he explained, referring to Poland. This is particularly evident in religious regions, where PiS promotes what he describes as "conservative feminism," offering economic incentives to women rather than pursuing traditional feminist goals of equality in labour markets or politics. "To make this pitch credible, the party ensures a visible presence of women candidates.'
This paradoxical dynamic is a key focus of his research. "Surprisingly, our analysis shows that religiosity does not negatively affect women's representation in high-stakes national elections," he said. "However, in the mundane, localised county elections, the traditional religious norms seem to exert a stronger influence." Comparing local and national elections, he observes that "counties with lower female representation in local elections may show less discrimination – or even a preference for women – in national elections." He attributes this to the strategic behaviour of political parties in national contests, where broader voter appeal outweighs personal biases.
What, then, can be done to challenge these religion-driven norms and promote greater political representation for women? According to Górecki, "Two institutional factors significantly influence women's representation: electoral systems and gender quotas," he noted. Proportional representation systems, such as Poland's, tend to favour women's inclusion compared to majoritarian systems. The gender quota law, mandating a minimum percentage of women on candidate lists, has also been a game-changer. "Poland’s quota law effectively ensures gender balance, but only in terms of the proportions of women on party lists," he clarified. Still, challenges remain. "Incumbency is a huge issue," he pointed out. "In many regions, male politicians dominate the field, and even with quotas, breaking through these entrenched networks is incredibly difficult."
Maciej Górecki is a Fernand Braudel Fellow at the EUI Department of Political and Social Sciences and a Professor at the University of Warsaw’s Faculty of Psychology. His research interests include electoral behaviour and electoral systems, comparative political science, and methodology of social research.
The Fernand Braudel Fellowship special call for applications was launched in the framework of the EUI Widening Europe Programme, which is supported by contributions from the European Union and EUI Contracting States. The programme is designed to strengthen internationalisation, competitiveness, and quality in research in targeted Widening countries.
Photo credit: The Black Madonna – Our Lady of Czestochowa (Luke the Evangelist, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)