Radical women? Explaining the gender gap in radical right voting in the Nordic countries

Author:
Maria Sigridur Finnsdottir University of Toronto, Canada

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Article Category:
Research Article
Copyright:
© European Conference on Politics and Gender and Bristol University Press 2022
Online Publication Date:
13 May 2022
Pages:
341–360
Publisher:
Bristol University Press
Volume/Issue:
Volume 5: Issue 3
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1332/251510821X16505525299538
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Recent decades have seen an electoral resurgence of radical right parties in Europe. Despite their international reputations as gender-egalitarian welfare paradises, the Nordic nations are no exception to this trend. While Nordic radical right movements have appropriated gender-egalitarian language, the leadership and voting bases of these parties remains overwhelmingly male. The gender gap is generally understood as a reflection of gender differences in structural location and in values. This article examines the importance of attitudinal and structural influences on voting behaviour for men and women. I highlight the role of anti-immigrant sentiment, while also arguing that gender differences in voter demand for radical right politics are intimately linked to differences in party supply. In short, I endeavour to provide a nuanced view of the gender gap in radical right voting, while nonetheless highlighting the importance of anti-immigrant sentiment in radical right politics.

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Maria Sigridur Finnsdottir University of Toronto, Canada

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maria.finnsdottir@mail.utoronto.ca

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