The Higher the Fewer? Patterns of Female Representation Across Levels of Government in Germany

Women's representation in elected assemblies across varying levels of government is often theorised to be shaped as a pyramid, with the highest proportion of women at the local level, where barriers to entry are minimal. Mapping women's representation in Germany, however, we find contradictory evidence, since the pyramid is spun on its head. Looking at the representation of women in legislatures across three levels of government reveals relatively few women in district assemblies, but sizably higher proportions at the Land and federal levels. This pattern presents a challenge to conventional explanations of descriptive representation at the local level.