Women in National Parliaments: Countries With Critical Mass*

Country Electoral Affirmative Campaign Percent Women

System Action6 Finance
Rwanda Proportional Legal quotas, N/A 56.3
Representation zipper-style:
(PR) in the Constitution
Lower House; guarantees 24
Winner-take-all seats for
in the Upper women in the
House National
Assembly; 30%
of seats in
Senate. Non-
compliance
results in party
sanctions.
Sweden PR List system Party Quotas, Political Parties 47.0
Zipper-Style: receive state
Political Parties subsidy, but no
guarantee 40- information on
50% women use of funds.7
candidates.
Cuba Direct voting N/A N/A. 43.2
with absolute
majority
system8
Finland PR, List System Party quotas, Political Parties 41.5
zipper-style: receive state
Party subsidy, but no
guarantees 40% information on
of each sex use of funds
represented in
decision-
making bodies.
Argentina PR, List System Legal quotas, Same 40.0
zipper-style
(1993):
Legislature
guarantees 30%
women
candidates on
party lists. Non-
compliance
results in
rejection of
 party list
Netherlands PR, List System Party quotas, Same 39.3
zipper-style
(1987): Labor
Party (one of
the three major
parties in
parliament)
guarantees 50%
women
candidates on
party lists
Denmark PR, List System Party quotas, Same 38.0
zipper-style
(1980s): Party
guarantees 40%
women
candidates.
Quotas
abandoned in
1996
Costa Rica PR, List System Legal quotas Same 36.8
(1996):
Constitution
guarantees 40%
women
candidates.
Non-
compliance
results in
rejection of
party list.
Spain PR, List System Legal quotas Same 36.3
(2007):
Legislature
guarantees a
minimum of
40% and a
maximum of
60% of each
sex among
candidates in
all elections.
Norway PR, List System Party quotas, Same 36.1
zipper-style
(1993): Party
 guarantees 40%
women
candidates
Belgium PR, List System Legal quotas, Campaign 35.5
zipper-style: Finance
Legislature limitations on
guarantees an political parties
equal share of
women and
men on party
lists, and that
the top two
positions be of
different sexes.
Non-
compliance
results in the
party leaving
the remainder
of the seats
vacant.
Mozambique PR, List System Party quotas, Political parties 34.8
zipper-style: receive
Party subsidies, but
guarantees 30% no information
of positions in on use of funds.
party lists for
women..
Iceland PR, List System Party quotas, Same 33.3
zipper-style
(1986): Party
guarantees 40%
women
candidates on
party lists.
Political parties
meet quotas
without legal
sanctions.
New Zealand Mixed Member No quotas No subsidies 33.1
PR System for political
parties
South Africa PR, List System Party quotas, Political parties 33.0
zipper-style: receive
Party subsidies, but
guarantees 30% no information
 of positions in on use of funds.
party lists for
women. Local
political parties
must seek to
ensure 50%
women on their
lists. Political
parties meet
quotas without
legal sanctions
Austria PR, List System Party quotas, Same 32.8
zipper-style:
Green Party has
50% quota
(1993);
Austrian
People’s Party
has 33.3%
(1995); Social
Democratic
Party has 40%
(1985).
Nepal Mixed system: Legal quotas No subsidies 32.8
First Past the (1990): for political
Post System Constitution parties.
(FPTP) / PR, states that at Campaign
list system least 5% of the finance
total number of limitations.10
candidates
contesting for
the lower house
election from
any political
party or
organization
must be women
candidates, and
at least 3 seats
are reserved for
women in the
60 member
upper house.
Macedonia PR, List System Legal quotas Ceiling on total 31.7
(2002): A expenditures by
minimum of a campaign.13
 30% of each
sex should be
represented on
party candidate
lists.
Macedonian
election code
(2005): every
third position
must be filled
“with a
candidate of the
lesser
represented
gender.” 12
Germany Mixed member Party quotas, Political parties 31.6
PR system zipper-style receive
(1986): Party subsidies, but
guarantees 40- no information
50% of on use of funds.
positions on
party lists for
women. Non-
compliance by
Christian
Democrat Party
results in
repetition of
internal
elections.
Uganda Simple majority Legal quotas: Same 30.7
system Constitution
guarantees 18%
women in
parliament.
Burundi PR, List system Legal quotas Same 30.5
in lower house, (2004):
Direct voting Constitution
with super guarantees 30%
majority in women in
upper house. Parliament.
Non-
compliance
results in
electoral
management
 body adding
members to the
parliament.
Tanzania Direct voting Legal quotas: Only 30.4
with simple Constitution represented
majority system guarantees political parties
between 20- receive funds.
30% women in Lack of
parliament. resources
makes it
difficult for
women to run.

* from WEDO: Women’s Environment & Development Organization: www.wedo.org