Gender quotas achievements and problems Dr Lenita Freidenvall

Gender quotas – achievements and problems? Dr. Lenita Freidenvall Stockholm University International conference on “Supporting women to enter politics: possibilities of using positive actions“ September 14, 2007 in Prague, the Czech Republic

Women’s political representation (www. ipu. org) – average 17. 7%

Explanatory factors to variations in women’s political representation • Institutional factors: • Socio-economic factors: education, women’s participation in the work force, welfare provisions • Cultural factors: culture • Strategic factors: electoral system, party system religion, religiosity, gender equality Political party strategies (quotas, recommendations, etc. ) Women’s organisations’ demand (autonomous groups, women’s sections within the parties)

Quotas – a Key to Equality? Research project at Stockholm University financed by the Swedish Research Council 1. Debates on gender quotas 2. Adoptions of quotas 3. Implementation of quotas 4. Consequences of quotas www. quotaproject. org

Research undertakings • Mapped all countries and political parties having introduced gender quotas. • Made a typology of quota systems • Constructed theoretical models to be applied when analysing the diffusion of gender quotas • Constructed a web site: www. quotaproject. org

Major results of quota project • Different types of quotas • Legal quotas, Voluntary party quotas • Candidate quotas, reserved seats • Rapid diffusion of quotas • 15+42 countries with legal quotas, 69 countries with voluntary party quotas • Common in post-conflict countries • Less common in liberal ”west” democracies • Quotas represent a ’fast track” • Difference between incremental track and fast track discourses • Quotas work in some cases, but are neither necessary nor sufficient in others • Good and bad cases

Different types of quotas 1. Quotas vary in terms of where they are mandated: – – 1. Legal quotas: constitution (15), electoral law (42) Voluntary party quotas: political party statutes (69) Quotas vary in terms of what level in the recruitment process and what institutional level they target 1. 2. 3. Aspirant level A. Quotas at national level Candidate level B. Quotas at sub-national level Elected politicians C. Quotas to the EU Parliament

Legal quotas – candidate quotas – Europe and South/Central America

Legal quotas – candidate quotas - Africa & Asia Source: www. ipu. org, www. quotaproject. org, Norris (2006)

Legal quotas – Reserved seats Källa: www. quotaproject. org, Norris (2006).

Three cases • France 1990 s: 6. 9% 2002: 12. 2% • Costa Rica 1990 s: 15. 8% 2006: 38. 6% • Argentina 1999 s: 6. 3% 2005: 35. 0%

France • Electoral system: two rounds majority system • Candidate quota (Loi sur la parité 1999, 2000) Parties should present 50% male and 50% female candidates across all electoral districts for national elections The penalty for non-compliance is financial

Costa Rica & Argentina Electoral system: PRsystem Candidate quotas: 1997 Party lists must contain a minimum of 40% women Candidate quotas: 1991 Party lists must contain a minimum of 30% women Placements: in electable positions Placements: strictly regulated Sanctions for noncompliance: electoral courts’ right to reorder list

Identified problem • Quotas work in some cases, but are neither necessary nor sufficient in other cases… • Problems in implementation when there are no placement requirements • Problems in implementation when there are no/weak sanctions for non-compliance • Problems in implementation when there is no/little support at grass root level

Ways to handle these problems… • A double condition of quota laws – proportion and placement • Strong sanctions for non-compliance - electoral courts having the right to reject party lists and/or substantial reductions of party subsidies • Double strategy – (top/down + bottom up) cross-party cooperation, links between party activists and women’s organizations, links to party leaders/ political leaders.

Read more… Drude Dahlerup, ed. (2006), Women, quotas and politics. London: Routledge. Lenita Freidenvall et al (2006), ”The Nordic Countries – an Incremental Model” in Dahlerup ed. Women, quotas and politics. London: Routledge. Drude Dahlerup & Lenita Freidenvall (2005), ”Quotas as a ’Fast Track’ to Equal Representation for Women” in International Feminist Journal of Politics, 7: 1, March 2005, pp. 26. 48.

Thank you!