Globally, women are
under-represented in leadership positions within political parties, even though
they represent between 40 and 50 percent of political party membership
worldwide, according to 2012 data. Factors hindering women from advancing their
political careers can include discriminatory attitudes of political party
members, exclusion from masculinized internal power structures and information
networks, limited financial resources and lack of reconciliation of
professional and family life, among other issues. Aiming to increase the
internal participation of women, political parties around the world have
adopted multifold strategies, including quotas at all levels, especially in
governing boards, executive committees and other decision-making platforms.[1]
Example: In Botswana, the constitutions of the Botswana Movement for
Democracy (BMD), Botswana Congress Party (BCP) and Botswana National Front
(BNF) contain provisions for a 30 percent quota for women in their central
committees, and regional and local structures.[2]
Example: Cambodia’s Sam Rainsy Party and Australia’s Labor Party
adopted internal quotas to ensure women’s representation in some or all of
their governing boards.[3]
Example: In Morocco, the Socialist Union of Popular Forces (USFP) has
internal quotas for each local branch, which has helped foster women’s
inclusion at all levels of the party.[4]
Example: In Mexico, the Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD) was
one of the first parties to adopt a 20 percent internal quota in 1990, which
was later raised to 30 per cent. It was followed by the National Action Party
(PAN), which adopted an internal party quota for women on governing boards and
in the executive committee.[5]
Example: In India, the Bhatariya Janata Party (BJP) amended its
constitution in 2008 to reserve 33 percent of the party’s leadership positions
for women and make the chief of the national women’s branch a member of the
party’s central election committee.[6]
Example: In Germany, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) adopted a
33 percent quota for party officials in 1996. If this quota is not met,
internal elections must be repeated.[7]
Example: In South Africa, the constitution of the African National
Congress (ANC) states that the party will implement a program of affirmative
action to ensure full representation of women in decision-making structures,
including a quota of at least 50 percent of women in all elected bodies.[8]
Example: In the United States of America, the Democratic Party
adopted rules for the participation of women as delegates at national
nomination conventions. As a result of internal lobbying and support of party leaders,
the party’s charter requires an equal number of women and men among nominating
convention delegates.[9]
[1] UNDP and NDI (2012): op.
cit., p. 15.
[2] International IDEA and
Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy (2015): op. cit.
[3] UNDP and NDI (2012): op.
cit., p. 18.
[4] UNDP and NDI (2012): op.
cit., p. 18.
[5] UNDP and NDI (2012): op.
cit., p. 18.
[6] UNDP and NDI (2012): op.
cit., p. 82.
[7] UNDP and NDI (2012): op.
cit., p. 18.
[8] UNDP and NDI (2012): op.
cit., p. 18.
[9] UNDP and NDI (2012): op.
cit., p. 19.
