The Gender Dimension of the 2009 European Parliament Elections in Romania

The present article aims to offer a gender-sensitive media analysis of the 2009 European Parliament elections in Romania. The essay focuses on how the regional and national mass media approached women political candidates in comparison with their male counter-candidates and also on the effects of the patriarchal norms and attitudes, traditional gender roles, and the (non)gendered discourses of the candidates. The qualitative research methods used are press monitoring followed by content analysis. The following aspects were considered for discussion: a) the propensity or lack of the feminist/gendered elements into the candidates’ discourses (and explanations); b) how mass media approaches the discourses and the electoral programs of women candidates; c) gender stereotypes used by both male and female candidates and mass media alike.