This data set considered participation in politics at the mass level rather
than recruitment into political office, but the small differences identified here in
terms of the impact of women’s informal networks and their lower levels of
representation in leadership roles in organised groups may impact upon the
resources they have available to participate in elite level politics. Women are
slightly more likely than men to take on voluntary roles as befrienders and
footsoldiers, and less likely to have leadership roles, and this impacts indirectly
upon their political participation at the mass level and most likely at the elite
level also.