Empowering Women’s Voices and Celebrating Women in Political Science: Prof. Magdalena Musiał-Karg

Tomorrow is International Women's Day, under the theme For ALL Women and Girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment. Earlier this year, the International Day of Women and Girls in Science on 11 February highlighted a different theme: Unpacking STEM Careers: Her Voice in Science.

These UN Days remind us of the ongoing efforts to achieve gender equality and empower women worldwide, particularly in science and the social sciences. In recognition of these days, IPSA reaffirms its commitment to raising awareness about the under-representation of women in political science and celebrating the accomplishments of women scholars in our field. Despite significant progress by women in higher education, gender disparities persist across many disciplines. IPSA remains at the forefront of addressing this issue by regularly publishing Gender and Diversity Monitoring Reports. These reports offer an unprecedented and comprehensive international perspective on the topic of gender disparity in political science. 

Additionally, IPSA recently conducted the Gender Inequalities in Political Science Survey amongst its individual members to understand how our community perceives working conditions, inappropriate behaviors in interpersonal relations and gender inequalities in the field. The results will be presented at the 2025 IPSA World Congress of Political Science in July.  

On the occasion of International Women's Day and the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, IPSA invites you to meet Magdalena Musiał-Karg, a Full Professor of Social Science at Adam Mickiewicz University (AMU) in Poznań (Poland), President of the Polish Political Science Association, and IPSA Executive Committee member. She exemplifies how women scholars drive meaningful change, in both academia and the public sphere, particularly in promoting democracy and safeguarding electoral integrity.

Prof. Musiał-Karg's research explores political systems, direct democracy, digital innovation in elections, and the misuse of elections and referendums. She examines democratic backsliding, electoral manipulation, and citizen participation, emphasizing the need for transparent governance and safeguards against the political misuse of democratic tools. She advocates for fostering civic engagement to rebuild trust in democratic institutions and explores alternative voting methods to support more inclusive and resilient electoral processes.

Her research career began with an interest in direct democracy in Switzerland, where she analyzed referendums and citizen participation in decision-making. This early focus laid the foundation for her broader research on direct democracy, electoral processes, and digital innovation in voting systems, shaping her academic path and international collaborations in political science.

Holding a Ph.D. in political science from AMU, she has built an international academic career in electoral studies and digital democracy, collaborating with scholars across Europe on projects related to direct democracy, electoral processes, and i-voting. 

She was awarded the Europa Fellows II PhD scholarship, funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) in Germany, as well as a scholarship under the Osteuropa Programme, financed by the Catholic Academic Exchange Service (KAAD). In 2024, she received a prestigious three-year scholarship for outstanding young scientists, funded by the Polish Minister of Science and Higher Education.

From 2016 to 2024, she served as Vice-Dean for Research and Scientific Cooperation at the Faculty of Political Science and Journalism at AMU, where she strengthened international research collaboration and advanced scholarly work in political science.

Prof. Musiał-Karg also plays a key role in the political science community as President of the Polish Political Science Association and a member of the Political Science Committee of the Polish Academy of Sciences. She actively advises policymakers and civil society organizations on electoral reforms, working to uphold free and fair democratic processes. Since March 2025, she has been serving as a member of the Core Group of Experts on Political Parties at the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR).

Advancing Gender Equality in Political Science

Dedicated to advancing gender equality, Prof. Musiał-Karg also researches women’s participation in politics, promoting inclusive representation and fostering academic dialogue on gender in political science. Her leadership roles reflect her dedication to amplifying women's voices in academia and political discourse. Through her research, mentorship, and advocacy, she actively supports female scholars and highlights the critical role of women in democratic governance.

In recognition of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science and International Women’s Day, Prof. Musiał-Karg continues to champion gender equality in academia and politics. She highlights the contributions of women in political science, advocates for stronger female representation in decision-making, and calls for greater inclusion and diversity in academic and political leadership.