ECONOMIC UNDERPINNINGS OF WOMEN’S POLITICAL PARTICIPATION: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF WESTERN AND EASTERN EUROPE

Abstract

Women’s political participation is a key indicator of democratic resilience and gender equality in Europe, yet significant disparities persist between Eastern and Western regions. The purpose of this comparative research work is to discover the role of economic indicators in women’s political representation, focusing on the research question of how the economic environment has been influencing women’s political participation in Western and Eastern Europe. While participating in politics, women have undergone various evolutionary phases that are directly influenced by political, social, and economic factors. The economic environment is considered the key aspect in shaping women’s political participation. The economy is the main key to providing women with access to the job market, education opportunities, health facilities, and political participation across Europe. But the economic factors have different impacts on both regions, such as in the West, the wealthiest countries with a developed economic structure support women’s political participation via social safety net provision. In contrast, Eastern Europe’s economic transitions have produced unique constraints and possibilities, influencing women’s political engagement through instability and evolving policy frameworks. This study compares how GDP, social-welfare policies, and unemployment rates shape women’s paths to political involvement in the two regions, and examines how economic advancement in Western Europe contrasts with the challenges and opportunities of post-communist transitions in Eastern Europe.