Designing for equality: best-fit, medium-fit and non-favourable combinations of electoral systems and gender quotas

What electoral system is best for ensuring greater gender equality?

By: Larserud S & Taphorn R
Published by: International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA), 2007
Via: Eldis

This report provides an overview of how electoral systems function with different kinds of quotas for women. It assesses how women’s representation can be increased under different combinations of electoral systems and quotas. This publication aims to serve as a reference tool for all those who work to increase women’s representation in politics.

The paper discusses the following:

• quotas in electoral systems
• electoral system variables which impact on the representation of women
• combinations of electoral systems and quotas: the results
• other variables that impact on the representation of women.

The paper finds that:

• Proportional Representation (PR) systems with large districts are the systems that tend to provide the most favourable conditions for the election of women, while many of the single-member district systems will provide obstacles for women candidates
• the electoral systems that make the implementation of quotas more difficult are those that use small electoral districts with candidate-centred voting and decentralised nomination and those which result in low party magnitudes, for example, First Past the Post, Two-Round System and Alternative Vote.

The paper concludes that when thinking about electoral reform and women’s representation, the electoral system and the quota to be used must be considered together instead of separately.

(http://www.idea.int/publications/designing_for_equality/index.cfm)