It seems like men are more successful in the countries that give voters the choice to vote for a single candidate of their choice (mainly N America, also UK). I wonder if open list systems provide any evidence to help answer this question? Are men more likely to win personal votes?
The single biggest issue is that, regardless of electoral system, women are less likely to run for office, I think. Women candidates tend to be as successful as male ones on average...when they run. Women may be 50% of the population but they don't seem to run for office as frequently as men do.
In a US or Canada context, there's also the fact that most longtime incumbents are men, and since incumbents have advantages, you'll see the incumbency factor compound everything else. That's because it turns what might be a 50/50 race between male incumbent and female challenger into a 60/40 race. The female might win but her chances of winning are diminished.
