Gender diversity, institutional weakness, and waste management outcomes in Italian municipalities

This study examines the relationship between female political representation and environmental outcomes, focusing on waste management practices in Italy. Using a panel dataset of over 7000 municipalities (2011–2020), we employ fixed effects regressions complemented with a regression discontinuity design based on close mixed- gender mayoral elections and an instrumental variables strategy exploiting the introduction of gender quotas under Law 215/2012. We find that a higher share of female councilors is associated with higher separate waste collection rates, particularly in areas with weaker institutional integrity, as measured by corruption-related of fenses. In contrast, female mayors show weaker or delayed associations with waste management outcomes, suggesting that environmental performance may depend more on the collective oversight and deliberative functions of the city council rather than on individual executive action. Importantly, higher waste sorting rates are not associated with higher public expenditure, pointing to potential efficiency gains. Results are robust to alternative measures of institutional weakness. The findings contribute to the literature on gender and envi ronmental governance by documenting a robust association between gender diversity in local governance and environmental performance, particularly in contexts where institutional integrity is weaker.