Electoral Reform and Political Representation of Women in Latin America
Electoral Reform and Political Representation of Women in Latin America
- Flavia FreidenbergFlavia FreidenbergDepartment of Political and Social Sciences, National Autonomous University of Mexico
Summary
Historically, women have been underrepresented in Latin America. In recent years, many countries promoted electoral reforms to improve the representation of women in national political institutions. The reforms incorporated affirmative action mechanisms (quota laws) and/or the principle of gender parity in the registry of candidacies that forced the parties to allow women to compete for political office. These changes, together with women-friendly electoral systems and the active commitment of political actors (women’s movements, academics, women in politics, judges, and electoral officials) have allowed formal and informal collaborative mechanisms to monitor, reinforce, and demand compliance with the laws, which have increased the levels of women’s political representation.
Keywords
Subjects
- Contentious Politics and Political Violence