Research shows that voters are generally reluctant to support Muslim politicians, especially voters with a strong tendency to vote for populist radical right parties. One strategy used by minority politicians to overcome this scrutiny is "broadstancing," which involves distancing themselves from their minority group. While this can improve their appeal to the general population, it may also provoke backlash from within the minority group, making it a costly strategy.
This study investigates whether similar dynamics apply to Muslim politicians who adopt feminist policy positions. Drawing on research on political representation, respectability politics, and femonationalism, the study explores how historical femonationalist narratives impact Muslim politicians’ ability to gain broad acceptance. It also examines whether voters respond differently to Muslim politicians who advocate for gender equality.
To explore this, I conducted survey experiments with 3,052 respondents from France, Germany, and the Netherlands, including an oversample of respondents with migration backgrounds. Each survey presented six fictional profiles of politicians with varying religious affiliations and positions on gender equality.
While there was strong bias against Muslim politicians among voters without a migration background, this bias disappeared when the politicians supported gender equality. Muslim voters, even those personally opposed to gender equality, were more favorable toward Muslim politicians endorsing it. This suggests that advocating for gender equality is an effective, low-cost strategy for Muslim politicians, which may explain why many have already adopted this approach.