Thirsting for New Leaders? Droughts and Demand for Women Politicians

Abstract

This article shows that climate-related events, such as droughts, can increase public demand for women political leaders. Drawing on theories of gendered leadership perceptions, we argue that environmental cri ses heighten concerns about fairness and the allocation of scarce resources, increasing preferences for lead ers perceived as more equitable and less prone to corruption. Using geocoded climate data linked to nation wide survey responses in South Africa (2005–2022), we demonstrate that drought conditions increase sup port for women leaders. Qualitative interviews and survey experiments further show that women are viewed as more trustworthy in distributing relief and less likely to misuse public funds. These perceptions extend to policy preferences: citizens are more willing to support investments in drought preparedness when women lead. Together, the findings demonstrate how climate-related events can reshape gendered political preferences, with implications for representation and governance under global warming.