Description
Book SynopsisSince the return of democracy to Latin America, policies intended to promote the inclusion of women and other underrepresented groups have been increasingly adopted throughout the region. Gender quotas have been one of the most popular and effective mechanisms employed in elections and other contexts in Latin America. This volume begins with an introduction to gender quotas, including discussion of the types and merits of gender quotas, alternative approaches to the study of quotas, and their interactions with different kinds of electoral systems. Successive chapters examine the adoption of gender quotas and their impacts in the three largest South American countries by areaArgentina, Brazil, and Peruat both national and subnational levels. These chapters also focus on specific topics that stand out in the unique experiences of these countries: substantive representation in the case of Argentina, gender and campaign finance in the case of Brazil, and regional differences in the impact
Trade ReviewGender Quotas in South America’s Big Three paints a richly detailed portrait of gender quotas at the national and subnational levels in Argentina, Brazil, and Peru, describing their adoption and implementation. . . . Overall, Gender Quotas provides a useful overview of the literature on quotas for readers unfamiliar with the topic; it offers a rich description of the electoral systems and gender quotas used in Argentina, Brazil, and Peru; and empirically documents the numbers of women in positions of political influence across these countries. * Perspectives on Politics *
This volume offers fresh perspectives on critical questions in the study of gender quotas. It explores the impact of quotas on women's election in three important Latin American countries, the diffusion of quota laws across Argentine provinces, the varied impact of quotas and ballot structure at the subnational level in Peru, the puzzle of why Brazil's quota laws produced only a minimal impact on numbers of women elected, and the related puzzle of why women have fared better than expected under open list proportional representation in Peru. The book provides an essential guide to the complexities of women's political representation for a broad audience including scholars, activists, policy makers, and students. -- Mala Htun, University of New Mexico
Table of Contents1. Gender, Descriptive Representation, and Legislative Behavior in Post-Quota Argentina 2. Gendered Policies in the Argentine Provinces: A Showcase of Uneven Implementation 3. Electoral Quotas at the National Level in Brazil: An Arduous Road to Nowhere? 4. Quotas at Subnational Levels in Brazil: More Dead-End Roads? 5. Quotas in Peruvian Congressional Elections: Success under Open List Proportional Representation 6. Quotas in Peruvian Municipal and Regional Elections: Accidental Success in Majoritarian Systems 7. Ballot Structure and Regional Context: A Comparison of Lima and the Provinces
