There is strong evidence that the type of electoral system has an impact on the representation of women in parliament.[i] Women tend to have a greater chance of being placed on a party list as part of a team of candidates under a proportional system than to be nominated as individual candidates in a majority, winner-takes-all system. According to Ballington, “It is now conventional wisdom that in proportional representation systems, or electoral systems with a strong party bias rather than a strong candidate bias, women tend to be elected in higher numbers than majoritarian systems.”[ii]
A “closed list” proportional representation system may also be more favorable for youth political participation, since youth face some of the same patriarchal norms as women. These consider experienced older men better suited for political leadership than women or youth. In a majoritarian system, if political parties suspect a prevalence of these norms in society, they might be more inclined to nominate men above 35 years old because they expect them to have a greater chance to win constituencies. In a proportional system, political parties might be more willing to nominate a representative team including women and youth. The team could attract additional votes from different demographic groups without turning away conservative voters. However, each electoral system has its own advantages and disadvantages, and any consideration to changing the system should be based on an understanding of the issues and the likely impact.
Voting systems. Source: IPU website https://www.ipu.org/our-work/youth/data-youth-participation
[i] Julie Ballington, “Equality in Politics: Survey of Women and Men in Parliaments,” Reports and Documents no. 54, p. 3, (IPU, 2008), www.ipu.org/pdf/publications/equality08-e.pdf; Wilma Rule, “Women’s Underrepresentation and Electoral Systems,” Political Science and Politics, 27(4), 1994.
[ii] Julie Ballington, “Political Parties and Recruitment of Young Women,” paper presented on behalf of IDEA at “Entering Decision-making and Advisory Structures,” Seminar on Participation of Young Women in Political Life, EYC, Strasburg, September, 16–17, 2003, www.iknowpolitics.org/files/Young%20Women_Ballington.pdf.
