Targeting the cereal woman: Campaigns, gender, and Scottish independence

Abstract How do political campaigns construct and mobilize voter identities in high-stakes constitutional contests? This article examines the 2014 Scottish Independence Referendum through twenty-three elite interviews with campaign actors from Yes Scotland and Better Together. It finds that both campaigns targeted women using gendered assumptions about risk, care, and economic security and were shaped by male-dominated leadership and normative logics. The study finds that these strategies not only responded to gendered voter cleavages but also actively reinforced voter identities. By analysing how gender shaped strategic thinking, message design, and organizational culture, the article contributes to broader debates on electoral behaviour, political representation, and the strategies of campaigns in shaping democratic choice.