Quotas as Tools to Enhance

Women’s Participation

Regional Forum on Equal Participation in Decision-Making

Istanbul, 15 November 2011

Julie Ballington, Adviser, Global Programme on Electoral Cycle Support, UNDP

Women in Decision-Making: The Targets

• 1979-85: CEDAW & Third World Conference on Women suggested concrete measures be taken for the advancement of women

• 1990: ECOSOC Resolution no. 15 recommended a target of 30% women in leadership posts by 1995 and 50% by 2000

• 1995: Fourth World conference reported little progress in 30% target. Platform for Action stipulates the aim of ‘gender balance’ and having the same proportion of both sexes in public positions, i.e. 50 - 50.

• 2000: Millennium Development Goals set indicator of at least 30% women by 2015.

2

5

19

46

65

43

8

50%

30%

30-40%

40-50%

50-60%

20-30%

10-20%

1-10%

0%

26 14%

162

Women in National Parliaments (188)

86%

IPU, Women in National Parliaments, single and lower houses 2011

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

Nordic

countries

Americas Europe incl.

Nordiccountries

World

Average

Asia Sub-

SaharanAfrica

Pacific Arab States

42.1%

22% 22%

19.5% 18% 19%

12.5%10.9%

Numbers in Regional Perspective

What have we learned in the past 10 years?

• Knowledge on strategies to increase women’s

participation, including working with political

parties

• Investment by international community in

supporting women candidates: capacity

building/training workshops

• Support of CSOs is key in terms of mobilization

and oversight.

• Despite this, the most important measure has

been use of quotas

2

5

19

50%

30%

30-40%

40-50%

50-60%

26 14%

Women in National Parliaments (188)

IPU, Women in National Parliaments, single and lower houses 2011, www.quotaproject.org

23 countries use quotas:

11 with voluntary candidate quota by parties

3 with reserved seats

12 with legislated candidate quota

3 with no quotas (Andorra, Denmark, NZL)

Types of quotas

Candidate quotas

Legislated: Minimum percentage of candidate for

election must be women as stipulated in legislation

Voluntary party quota: Minimum percentage of

candidates for election as determined on a

voluntary basis by political parties

OUTPUT: Guaranteed seats

Reserved seats: Number of seats are set aside in

the parliament for women.

Quotas in practice

Legislated candidate quota: 52 countries

FYR Macedonia In lists of candidates, of every three

places at least one will be reserved

for the less represented sex

Kyrgyzstan Law specifies a 30% quota for either

sex on electoral lists

Serbia Political party lists must contain at

least 30% of each sex.

In an additional 50 countries, political parties have

voluntary quotas

Electoral systems matter

Quotas need to match the electoral system:

- 70% of countries with proportional or mixed electoral

systems use some type of quota

- Less than 30% of countries with majority/plurality electoral

systems use quotas

- Therefore the gap in women’s representation in different

electoral systems is only likely to widen in the future

- During 2009, women were elected in twice the number in

proportional systems than in majority/plurality systems

(26% versus 13%)

Rank-order rules are necessary

1. Zipper system – alternation throughout the list (E.g. Green parties, most parties in Sweden)

2. The top two candidates cannot be of the same sex (Belgium)

3. One-in three must be a woman

(Albania, FYR of Macedonia, Kyrgyzstan)

Sanctions for non-compliance:

• Rejection of the list (Kyrgyzstan, Slovenia,

Bosnia and Herzegovina)

• Places shall remain empty (Belgium)

• Financial penalty (Albania)

Conclusion

“One cannot deal with the problem of female

representation by a quota system alone. Political

parties, the educational system, NGOs, trade

Unions…– all must take responsibility with their own

organisations to systematically promote women’s

participation from the bottom up. This will take time.”

Birgitta Dahl, Former Speaker of Parliament, Sweden

Supportive measures include:

• Capacity building of newly elected members

• Sensitization of all members, including men

• Instituting gender sensitive reforms in parliament

• Democratization of political parties