Publication

This paper examines whether the reason why women in sub-Saharan Africa are less likely than men to support democracy is due to the level of gender discrimination present in social institutions in the region. Overall, it finds that the differences between support by men and women for democracy is reduced when gender discrimination in family codes, physical integrity and civil liberties is taken into account. The author also suggests that women living in countries with favorable laws toward women are more supportive of democracy than in countries that do not have such laws.