Can even still be uneven? The effect of quotas in Portuguese local governments

Abstract

Portuguese society has undergone considerable progress towards addressing gender issues. From the education system to the job market, many changes promoting gender equity have taken place. In the political sphere, the implementation of regulations on gender quotas marked a significant milestone. Since 2006, party lists have been required to meet a gender diversity quota of at least 33%. However, the implementation of such policies necessitate a more detailed analysis. This paper focusses on the impact of quota regulations on the composition of municipal councils. Based on an analysis of the data from the municipal elections from 1978 to 2017, our research supports two major findings. First, the introduction of quota regulations considerably increased the number of women in office, but also created a glass ceiling around the legal threshold. Second, an institutional history of gender diversity and a competitive political environment are both factors that boost the number of women elected. KEYWORDS Electoral competitiveness; gender policies; institutions; local government elections CONTACT Miguel Rodrigues

Adopting a gender quota policy in Qatar: a path to gender equity

“…In consequence, modest success rates have been seen in governments around the world that have adopted quotas, suggesting that reserving a specific proportion of seats for women has been the most effective way of increasing the number of women in legislatures. Quota systems have increased the number of women in political positions (O’Brien and Rickne, 2016; Pansardi and Pedrazzani, 2022; Rodrigues, 2022; Squires, 2004; Sousa and Santos, 2022). Hamplová et al (2022) claim that some governments have further put pressure (either voluntary or mandatory) on nongovernmental organizations by imposing quota systems as means to increase the number of female directors on corporate boards.…”