The descriptive representation of women in democracies has improved significantly in recent decades, however it varies between countries. Such representation was expected to contribute to greater societal gender equality, though it is unclear whether this is indeed the case. Part of the reason for this discrepancy is that in most established democracies the political system is still a patriarchal, male-dominated system characterized by the under-representation of women. In this context, female representatives are disadvantaged and need to adopt coping mechanisms and behavioural strategies to maximise their power and influence within gendered environment.
Many studies focus on the behavioural outcomes of female representation in parliament, they often pay little attention to the underlying mechanisms explaining such behaviour. While there is some theorization regarding it, most studies do not focus on this issue.

This study aims to uncover the behavioural strategies female legislators adopt in order to handle the unique challenges they face. Our data is based on in-depth interviews with approximately 25 past and present Israeli female legislators and employs a mixed-method approach. First, we will conduct a content analysis, followed by a qualitative interpretive reading of the interviews. This analytical strategy allows us to define and portray the power relations female legislators confront, and to map the practices and behavioural strategies they use. As a result it will contribute to our understanding of the way representative democracy operates in practice and identify the pitfalls hampering female legislators from bringing true gains for women.