THE EFFECT OF EXPECTED WOMEN'S PARTICIPATION IN LEGISLATIVE GOVERNANCE ON PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION IN SIERRA LEONE: A PROBIT MODEL EVIDENCE

Abstract

The study investigates whether support for the proportional representation system of legislative governance in Sierra Leone is linked to an expected increase in women's participation in legislative governance. A Probit model of proportional representation support is estimated using a national survey dataset from all five regions in Sierra Leone, with all 16 districts covered. The results show that among those who support a proportional representation system of parliament, increased women's representation in parliament as a reason is 13.9 percentage points higher than otherwise. In addition, the probability of a respondent supporting proportional representation based on the expected increase in women's participation is 60.7% and is significant at the 1% level. Hence, there are about 39.3% of the sample that do not support PR in spite of its increase in female participation in legislative governance in Sierra Leone. The actual proportion supporting PR based on women's participation in governance is found to be 60.86%, implying that it captures the data well. In addition, overall, the proportion of the sample that supports PR. is 59.0%. Hence, enforcement of the Gender Equality Women Empowerment (GEWE) Act by the Political Party Regulation Commission (PPRC) and the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone is very critical for the enhancement and sustainability of the PR system adopted in Sierra Leone in 2022, which is a tool for inclusive developments in all districts across Sierra Leone, including strengthening maternal and child healthcare, girls’ education and enforcement of gender-based violence laws.