Female Deputies of the Russian Federation at the Sub-Federal Level: Social and Political Structure

The paper analyses the social-demographic characteristics of the female deputies at sub-federal level of the Russian Federation in eight federal districts. The results of the analysis suggest a model of construction of the political field ‘from the top’, where the influence of the gender approach is minimal. Basis for female deputies’ representation is the heads of budget-funded educational and health care institutions, being co-opted into political bodies through nominations from poli­tical parties. The basic social resource for women remains their education and professional experience, which are applied in their choice of the relevant political area through their representation in ‘public committees’. Therefore, we can hardly speak of the gender agenda, other than a simple representation of gender in the political field. In this case, the electoral system type is of little importance and does not affect the gender representation ratio. 
The model of recruiting women into politics has changed in its basic features with regard to the minimal inclusion of women with experience in state and municipal service as the most obvious administrative resource. A traditional view of female deputies as a ‘teacher-doctor’ combination in the public sector is also undergoing a transformation: business community is approaching the government-financed sector in terms of the number of representatives. Pedagogics and other ‘humanities’ occupations are no longer dominant among female deputies; economics, management, and law together exceed the representation of pedagogues, indicating a social change in women’s representation.