Female Leadership and Effects from African Droughts

Projektinformationen

Fem-LEAD

ID Finanzhilfevereinbarung: 101117889

DOI

10.3030/101117889

EK-Unterschriftsdatum 31 August 2023

Startdatum 1 Januar 2024

Enddatum 31 Dezember 2028

Finanziert unter

• European Research Council (ERC)

Gesamtkosten

€ 1 499 568,00

EU-Beitrag

€ 1 499 568,00

Koordiniert durch

GOETEBORGS UNIVERSITET
Sweden

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - Fem-LEAD (Female Leadership and Effects from African Droughts)

Berichtszeitraum: 2024-01-01 bis 2026-06-30

Zusammenfassung vom Kontext und den Gesamtzielen des Projekts

In brief, Fem-LEAD seeks to understand the connections between weather-related disasters and women’s political standing in politics in African countries. The project focuses on environmental shocks, public opinion and political representation. We use a range of approaches to design cutting-edge studies to advance our understanding of these processes. Funds allow us to collect and combine various forms of original data (e.g. experimental and observational). The project collects and analyzes unique data on women as local candidates and representatives in African countries, not the least South Africa, but also in other regions of the world.

Beyond its specific aims, work within the project extends broadly to study a range of related processes, e.g. but not limited to, how other types of shocks affect attitudes and representation electoral accountability more broadly, and the impact from women’s political presence on different outcomes. Generally, the research group is interested in how natural disasters and various forms of environmental shocks affect political outcomes.

Arbeit, die ab Beginn des Projekts bis zum Ende des durch den Bericht erfassten Berichtszeitraums geleistet wurde, und die wichtigsten bis dahin erzielten Ergebnisse

The project is ongoing and a strong research group is beginning to take shape, with researchers based at the University of Gothenburg, as well as a network of international leading scholars. The project has already successfully demonstrated that the first parts of the data collection is successful and insights are being drawn from a combination of experimental and observational datasets.

Fortschritte, die über den aktuellen Stand der Technik hinausgehen und voraussichtliche potenzielle Auswirkungen (einschließlich der bis dato erzielten sozioökonomischen Auswirkungen und weiter gefassten gesellschaftlichen Auswirkungen des Projekts)

This project will advance our understanding of how disasters shape various aspects of politics. While ongoing, it can be mentioned that we already have an interesting finding to report in the context of South Africa (see Elia et al. 2025), demonstrating that voters' evaluation of how politicians handle droughts is gendered. Women are punished more harshly for failing to deliver relief aid.