The Gender Gap in Civil State Decorations: A Comparative Study of the Baltic States, 1994–2020

authored by

Philipp Köker, Nele Weiher, Anja Schollmeyer

Abstract

Systems of state decorations have often been overlooked by political scientists. However, they are highly indicative of dominant social norms and power differentials. While historical research has highlighted gender disparities in award bestowals in individual countries, comparative perspectives and cross-national analyses are still missing. This article provides the most comprehensive comparative analysis of the gender gap in state decorations. Using an original data set of all 11,559 recipients of civil awards in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania from 1994 to 2020, it shows that women received significantly fewer awards than men across the three countries, with only moderate progress over time. Even where women and men were recognized in equal numbers, women remained underrepresented among higher classes of awards and were more likely to be recognized for achievements in stereotypically feminine fields. Our findings contribute to research on gendered institutions and highlight the usefulness of award bestowals as an indicator of sociopolitical phenomena.

Organisation(s)

Institute of Political Science

Type

Article

Journal

Politics & Gender

ISSN

1743-923X

Publication date

04.12.2023

Publication status

E-pub ahead of print

Peer reviewed

Yes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Gender Studies, Sociology and Political Science

Sustainable Development Goals

SDG 5 - Gender Equality

Electronic version(s)

https://doi.org/10.1017/S1743923X23000636 (Access: Open)