This report provides a general view of the position of women in the legislative powers in three periods: between the 1970s and the 1980s, around 1995 and in 2004. It also describes an increasing trend in the participation of women in Latin American parliaments that is independent of the quotas.

In these series of articles policy makers, practitioners, and academics discuss long-running conflicts around the world and highlight women's experiences and potential to contribute both to war and peace.