The Implementation of Quotas: European Experiences Quota Report Series

Although women’s representation in older democracies in Europe has lowly been on the increase and the percentage of women Members of the European Parliament has increased from 19 percent in 1994 to 30percent in 2004, the advent of multi-party democracy in post-communist Europe did not immediately put women in decision making positions. In fact, in many countries, the first multi-party elections brought a decline in women’s representation in national parliaments. Although gender quotas are now increasingly viewed as an important policy measure for boosting women’s access to decision-making bodies throughout the world, the legacy of communist-era quotas and token representation created a backlash in Central and Eastern Europe. Even if the decline in women’s participation has recently reversed and women’s political participation in most European parliaments is increasing , the quota debate remains heated and is by no means settled in many countries.

Publisher: International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA)
Year of Publication: 2005