Is There a Gender Gap in Latin America in Support of Right-Wing Populists?

• In Event: Far-Right Political Parties

Abstract

A number of studies have documented a significant and enduring gender gap in support for right-wing populist leaders and parties in the United States and Europe, albeit with strong cross-national variation (Deckman and Cassese 2021; Immerzeel, Coffé, & Van der Lippe, 2015). Fewer studies have examined right-wing populism in Latin America, with little known about how gender affects voters support for right-wing populists. Early reports noted women’s key support for Alberto Fujimori, what Cecelia Blondet (2002) deemed “The Devil’s Deal” in exchange for greater security and pathways to higher office (see also Schmidt 2006). Today, Ipsos polling in Peru shows that poor women continue to overwhelming support Keiko Fujimori, the right-wing populist who filled her father’s shoes after his indictments and incarceration. This paper seeks to establish whether there is a gender gap in support for right wing populist candidates and parties in Latin America similar to that in the US and Europe, and explain cross-national variation. To do so, I will use polling data from Ipsos, Invamer, FundaUngo, and Datafolha to compare support for populist candidates by gender in Peru (Alberto and Keiko Fujimori), Colombia (Alvaro Uribe), El Salvador (Nayib Bukele), and Brazil (Jair Bolsonaro), respectively.

Author

• Stacey Leigh Hunt, Auburn University