Political Participation and Gender Representation in the Marche Region: Recent Trends and Perspectives

Journal title PRISMA Economia - Società - Lavoro
Author/s Angela Cossiri, Selena Grimaldi
Publishing Year 2026 Issue 2026/1
Language Italian Pages 10 P. 94-103 File size 93 KB
DOI 10.3280/PRI2026-001008
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This article analyses gender representation and political participation in the Marche Region through the results of the 2025 regional elections. Despite legal measures aimed at promoting gender balance, the outcome confirms persistent female under-representation and a decline compared with the previous election. The study highlights a mismatch between voters’ preferences and the allocation of the seats. The analysis identifies structural causes, including party recruitment strategies, candidate placement within lists, unequal access to political capital, and institutional mechanisms that indirectly amplify gender disparities. The article also emphasizes the interaction between electoral rules and constitutional principles of substantive equality, proposing innovative solutions such as conditioning majority bonuses on minimum gender balance standards. Finally, the contribution situates gender representation within broader socio-economic dynamics, linking political participation to welfare policies, care infrastructures, labour market inequalities, and territorial development. Balanced political participation emerges as a structural component of democratic quality and as a factor influencing regional socio-economic transformation.

Keywords: Gender Representation; Political Participation; Regional Elections; Electoral Systems; Marche Region

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Angela Cossiri, Selena Grimaldi, Partecipazione politica e rappresentazione di genere nella Regione Marche: tendenze recenti e prospettive in "PRISMA Economia - Società - Lavoro" 1/2026, pp 94-103, DOI: 10.3280/PRI2026-001008