Representing their own? Ethnic minority women in the Dutch Parliament (the Netherlands)

Study of ethnic minority women's representation in the Dutch Parliament, examining how gender and ethnicity intersect in shaping which MPs prioritise ethnic minority women's interests.

To test, using an intersectional approach, whether female ethnic-minority MPs are more likely than male ethnic-minority or female ethnic-majority MPs to substantively represent ethnic minority women's interests.

Analysis of written parliamentary questions and committee memberships of Dutch MPs across seven parliamentary sessions (1995–2012).

Female ethnic-minority MPs sat on relevant committees and tabled questions addressing ethnic-minority women's interests more often than male ethnic-minority or female ethnic-majority MPs, indicating a link between descriptive and substantive representation; the authors note this link is fragile because it rests on a small number of active MPs.

An intersectional approach — considering gender and ethnicity together — is needed to understand substantive representation in increasingly diverse parliaments; focusing on gender or ethnicity alone is insufficient.