Women’s impact on environmental policy: the case for greater female representation in the legislature

Abstract

Female legislators make for different legislators than their male counterparts. One aspect of this lies in their role in shaping environmental policy. Women are disproportionately impacted by climate change and therefore will have a unique perspective and insight to offer. In this analysis, I frame environmental issues as ones women will be more likely to support and advocate for. Using the data from the Congressional Bills Project, I seek to discern whether female legislators are more likely to introduce environmental bills in the House of Representatives than their male counterparts. I look at specific environmental and energy subtopics and find that gender is positive and significant for a few issues, but that the percent of females in the legislature has more of a positive and significant impact on the introduction of environmental policy that promotes sustainability and serve as a step to solving the global climate crisis.