IOs and Domestic Attitudes on Gender Equality: Evidence from Saudi Arabia

• In Event: Gender and Authoritarian States

Abstract

This study examines the impact of international pressure on public perceptions of gender equality in the context of authoritarian regimes. Many autocracies adopted gender quotas in recent years for strategic reasons, often to appear favorable to Western nations. However we do not know if these policies create a backlash where constituencies are deeply anti-American and anti-Western. Focusing on Saudi Arabia, our survey experiments explore how public support for recent gender quotas is affected by endorsements from the UN, Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), an international non-governmental organization (INGO), the US, and local religious leaders. Our findings reveal a significant increase in public support for women's political representation when endorsed by regional international organizations such as the OIC, even surpassing the impact of endorsements from local religious leaders. Conversely, endorsements from the UN, INGOs, and the US government exhibit a slightly decreasing effect on support for gender quotas, though statistically insignificant. This study underscores the substantial role played by regional international organizations in shaping local attitudes toward gender equality. It emphasizes the complex interplay between global and regional actors, providing insights into the dynamics that influence women's rights support in autocratic regimes.

Author

• Caglayan Baser, Bilkent University