The electoral system and female representation in Parliament. Analysis of the effects of the Equality Act on the composition of the Congress of Deputies after the 2008 legislative elections.

Authors

  • IRENE DELGADO SOTILLOS

Keywords:

political representation, electoral system, gender equality.

Abstract

This article examines the factors that support a glass ceiling for women in politics, focusing on the electoral system and their effects over the political representation of women deputies at the Lower House in Spain. To do so we analyse the application of legal parity in the 2008 general elections, the first general elections held after the introduction of a quota regulation. We test the effects of the elements of the electoral system, focusing on the district and analyzing the behaviour adopted by the main political parties in Parliament in relation to women’s representation in electoral lists.

Published

2010-11-30