We introduced a gendered, demand-side perspective to the political market, studying how gender role expectations shape corporate campaign donations to female and male candidates. We argued that due to social expectations of gender role congruency, female candidates undergo heightened social and moral scrutiny in elections. Given the negative public perception of corporate political donations, female candidates are particularly wary of voter backlash when receiving larger political donations than their male counterparts, thus receiving lower such donations. Moreover, we posited that this gender gap is intensified by female candidates’ lower financial demands but alleviated by the strong social reputations of potential corporate donors. Using data on corporate campaign donations from five election periods in Taiwan, our study provides insights into the complex interplay between gender, business, politics, and civil society.
