<p>Gender stereotypes result in distinct socialization processes for men and women, leading to differences —among many others— in their communication styles. Women are often socialized to emphasize emotional aspects in their speech, while men are taught to focus on rationality. Empirical evidence from non-political contexts supports this distinction, often described as rapport versus report talk. However, it remains unclear how these dynamics manifest in parliamentary settings. We argue that women in parliament face conflicting incentives: while gender stereotypes might lead them to adopt an emotionally expressive style, the parliamentary context favours rational, fact-based debate and is dominated by men who are expected to adhere to this style. We investigate women’s tone choices in parliamentary speech through a longitudinal study covering seven decades of parliamentary debates in Italy: a typical case of modern parliamentary systems, where women’s enhanced access to the floor still takes place in a gendered environment. Our findings underscore the ongoing relevance of gendered expectations in shaping parliamentary speech, challenging assumptions about the neutralizing effects of experience and institutional socialization in legislative contexts.</p>