Legislative Candidate Quotas in Spain: Is a new step in the Equality Law necessary? (original) (raw)

2013, 3rd European Conference on Gender and Politics

In 2007 the Spanish "Equality Law" was approved. This Law, among other different issues looking forward to increase the number of women participants in different social spheres, drew up a legislative candidate quota in the electoral lists. After its approval, there have been two Legislative Elections in Spain. In those elections the presence of women in the Lower and Upper Houses did not increase in a significant way if the numbers are compared with the 2004 elections. This article analyzes, using quantitative techniques, the way in which the legal quotas work within the electoral and political parties systems, looking into the direct effects in 2008 and 2011 legislative elections. Nevertheless, and supposing the ineffectiveness of the Law, simulation in different contexts will be used, looking forward to study the effects of a different legislation and if this could guarantee a bigger presence of women in the Parliament attending to the electoral results in those Legislative Elections.