Elections and Quotas

The right to vote and the right to stand for election are two fundamental tenets of democracy. Notably, many countries did not afford women the right to vote until the 20th Century. Even today, universal suffrage is not a given right in all countries, and women often face obstacles that undermine their participation in political and electoral processes.

Such obstacles can be political in nature, specific to the electoral system in use or a lack of a given political party’s support for female candidates. Obstacles can also be socio-economic, such as poverty, unemployment and lack of education, all of which result in an inferior social standing and affect women’s financial ability to engage in politics. Other obstacles can be of an ideological nature: Cultural norms, fixed gender roles, the lack of confidence among women to engage in politics and media portrayal of women in politics all have an influence on women’s participation.

There are various ways to support women in overcoming these obstacles. Such methods include revising the electoral system used, applying affirmative action mechanisms such as quotas, improving voter education for women and training political candidates. These are a few of the modes available to strengthen women’s political participation.

Sub-topics:

• Election Observations
• Electoral Systems and Laws
• Quotas
• Voter Education for Women

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