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A growing body of international security studies scholarship has linked the increased presence and participation of women in society (e.g. through governance, peacekeeping, peacebuilding) to increased levels of peace. However, studies of the gender gap have yet to consider all factors which best enable this participation, namely reproductive policy. Reproductive policy refers to national and subnational policies that promote three types of women’s rights: the right to not have a child, the right to have a child, and the right to parent children in safe and healthy environments. Without progressive reproductive policy, women face even greater barriers to running for office, meaning they may be less likely to become elected and have a pacifying effect on their societies. Therefore, in this presentation Burke will address the question: How do states’ reproductive policies influence women's representation in legislatures? In particular, in this presentation, Burke will address this question by exploring the experiences of female legislators in Portugal and Poland through case studies, surveys, and interviews.

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