Despite the fact that women’s representation in national parliaments and executives is increasing, female political representatives still constitute a minority, especially in high-level positions....Show moreDespite the fact that women’s representation in national parliaments and executives is increasing, female political representatives still constitute a minority, especially in high-level positions. The literature argues that gender stereotypes influence the perception of female political representatives who consequently face a disadvantage in politics. This thesis explores the factors that affect public opinion on female leadership in the European Union (EU). Using the Eurobarometer data on public opinion covering the 28 EU member states, I conduct a multiple linear regression analysis to investigate the effect of four individual level-factors (i.e., gender, age, education and profession), and three country-level factors (i.e., masculine culture, religion and communist legacy) on net female trust. The results suggest that female gender, education and masculine culture positively affect trust in female political representatives, while communist legacy produces a negative effect. Moreover, I discover that the EU public opinion favors female over male political representatives. Finally, by comparing the level of trust in female and male political representatives, I find that the great majority of respondents have egalitarian attitudes as they equally trust male and female leaders. These findings challenge the burgeoning literature on female leadership and have important implications for the study of public opinion, gender and political leadership in the EU.Show less
South Korean women face structural challenges when participating in the labour force. As of today, female labour participation is at its highest point in recorded history, yet gender inequality...Show moreSouth Korean women face structural challenges when participating in the labour force. As of today, female labour participation is at its highest point in recorded history, yet gender inequality causes persistent disadvantages for women regarding opportunities and decision-making power. Building on existing work, this study aims to determine the structural challenges that contribute to an unequal position in the work environment for South Korean women. It includes a research survey among 55 South Korean working women who share their experiences and offers a new perspective to the current scholarly work written on the topic of gender (in)equality in the South Korean work environment.Show less
