The gender-equalizing effects of labor unions: Union membership and gender gaps in political participation in Latin America

Labor unions play a key role in reducing women's labor market disadvantages. Despite this, critics argue that they continue to reproduce male-dominated cultures. This article contributes to this debate by examining whether unions reduce gender gaps in political participation, a domain where inequality remains persistent. We integrate the resource model of political participation with feminist scholarship and argue that unions can play an important role in reducing and even reversing political gender gaps. Using World Values Survey data from Argentina, Chile, Peru, and Uruguay (1994–2022), we show that, across the four countries, union membership not only narrows but reverses gender disparities in civic engagement. Furthermore, in Chile, union membership reverses gender gaps in participation in political activities. These findings extend research on the equalizing effects of unions beyond the labor market into the political realm and demonstrate that unions can foster women's political engagement even in contexts where union organization is weak. Overall, the study underscores the democratic significance of unions as gender-equalizing institutions.