This paper studies whether women elected as mayors are more likely than men to appoint other women directly to executive positions. Using the results of Italian municipal elections from 1993 to 2019 in which the top two candidates are of different genders, the paper examines the share of women appointed to local government (visible appointments) and to the boards of directors of municipal state-owned enterprises (hidden appointments).
Male mayors appoint more women to visible positions than female mayors, while there are no differences in hidden appointments. The effect on visible appointments does not appear until the early 2000s and occurs earlier and with greater intensity in regions where public opinion is more sensitive to gender equality. These findings suggest that male mayors may appoint more women to visible positions because they are subject to greater public scrutiny on gender issues.
