The proposed research paper aims to examine the increasing representation and leadership of women within far-right parties, that are predominantly led, represented, and supported by men. Drawing on Weeks' (2023) argument regarding strategic descriptive representation, the central hypothesis asserts that far-right populist parties strategically endorse female candidates to attract new female voters, while avoiding programmatic changes that might threaten their existing electoral base. My research examines whether such strategic endorsements are more common among far-right parties than among other political families. Existing literature on women's representation suggests that both numeric (descriptive) and policy (substantive) representation has historically been more aligned with left-leaning parties, underscoring the predictive influence of party ideology. In this context, the success of female leaders within far-right parties is a puzzling phenomenon. To test this hypothesis, I have compiled a comprehensive dataset on female candidate and MPs in Italian regional counculs from 2013 to 2024, along with data on gender differences in voter support across the country’s 20 regions. This period coincides with the significant rise of two far-right parties, Lega Nord (LN) and Fratelli d’Italia (FdI)- which is both led and funded by a woman. By comparing these parties with other political families, I aim to assess their strategic approaches to female representation and evaluate their electoral success. Preliminary results suggest that the hypothesis holds true for LN but not for FdI. This contrast highlights differences in their strategic support for female candidates and suggests opportunities for further research to explore these dynamics in greater depth.