Gender Quotas and Women's Representation

Flashcards covering key vocabulary and concepts from the lecture notes on gender quotas and women's representation in politics.

Gender Quotas

Constitutional regulations, electoral laws, or party rules that require a certain percentage of candidates or legislators to be women.

Reserved Seats

Seats set aside for women in parliaments; a type of legal quota.

Legislative Quotas

Require a certain percentage of political parties’ nominees to be women; a type of legal quota.

Voluntary Party Quotas

Individual parties promise to nominate a certain percentage of women candidates, but without enforcement mechanisms.

Parity Quotas

Quotas that ensure equal numbers of men and women.

Placement Mechanisms

Rules requiring parties to place women in electable positions.

Placement Mandates

Rules about the order of men and women candidates on electoral lists.

Enforcement Mandates

Rules requiring parties to comply with quotas.

Relative Deprivation

The feeling that one’s current life situation does not match their expectations, often leading to protests.

Resource Mobilization

The availability of resources that enable protests; necessitates that women have access to tools like NGOs and education.

CEDAW

Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women; a major international treaty adopted by the UN to promote women’s rights.

INGOs

International Non-Governmental Organizations; nonprofit organizations that operate across countries independently of any government.

WINGOs

Women’s International Non-Governmental Organizations that support women's rights and assist in protest organization.

Intersectionality

The interconnected nature of social categorizations such as race, class, and gender as they apply to individuals or groups, creating overlapping systems of disadvantage.

Social Movement Activism

Activism that can change public opinion and influence policy.

Nonviolent Activism

Activism that drives media coverage and shapes public opinion without the use of violence.

Violent Activism

Activism that often leads to repression and is less successful compared to nonviolent methods.

Peace Agreements

Formal accords between conflicting parties intended to end hostilities.

Peacekeeping

Post-conflict operations to promote stable democracy and aid in writing new constitutions.

Role Model Effects

The impact that observing successful individuals can have on others' aspirations and goals.

Signaling Game

The concept that by adopting gender quotas, countries can demonstrate their commitment to gender equality.

Ni Una Meno

An anti-femicide movement that originated in Argentina, advocating for women’s rights.

Demographic Change

Shifts in the population structure that can impact women's representation post-conflict.

Political Utility of Women

The increasing perceived value of women in politics, influencing their representation after conflicts.

Mixed Quotas

Any combination of party-level and national-level gender or minority quotas.

Tandem Quotas

National gender and minority quotas implemented simultaneously.

Nested Quotas

Quotas that operate at multiple levels within a political system.

Boomerang Effect

When domestic women's groups connect with international organizations for coordination, support and resources

Gender Balancing

Efforts aimed at achieving gender parity within political representation.

Beijing Conference 1995

A landmark UN conference that significantly influenced global consensus on gender equality and women's rights.

Third-wave Feminism

A wave of feminism beginning in the 1990s characterized by diverse perspectives on women's roles in society.

Institutionalized

The formal incorporation of practices and norms within political or organizational structures.

Double Barriers

Challenges faced by individuals who belong to multiple marginalized groups, complicating their access to power.

Complementary Advantage

The strategic advantage obtained by women who run alongside male candidates to balance representation.

Multiculturalism

The presence and co-existence of diverse cultural backgrounds and identities.

Intersectional Invisibility

The phenomenon where individuals from multiple marginalized identities are overlooked in representation.

Hypervisibility

When individuals with distinct features, such as race or gender, receive undue attention or scrutiny within political contexts.

Gender Mainstreaming

An approach that seeks to integrate a gender perspective into all policies and programs of governments.

Crisis of the Mediocre Man

A situation where less capable male leaders feel threatened by the entry of competent women into politics.

Murry's Argument

The assertion that gender quotas can enhance the quality of candidates chosen for political office.

Peace Agreements

Formal agreements between conflicting parties aimed at ending hostilities and establishing peace terms.

Peacekeeping

Post-conflict operations to maintain peace and promote liberal democracy in conflicted regions.

Aid for Writing Constitutions

Support from international experts aimed at influencing and drafting new laws during the formation of constitutions.

Role Model Effects

A phenomenon where individuals are motivated to achieve specific goals or careers by observing the success of relatable role models.

What Causes Change?

Change occurs when protests alter public opinion and shift policy priorities.

Signaling Game

Countries demonstrate their commitment to gender equality and democracy by implementing gender quotas.

Ni Una Meno (Not One Woman Less)

An anti-femicide movement from Argentina that arose in response to several murders, evolving into a platform for women's rights, especially concerning abortion.

When Does Student Activism Work?

Student activism is effective when specific grievances can be framed into broader demands for systemic change that resonate with the general public.

Explanations for Women’s Representation in Industrialized Countries

Factors include supply and demand dynamics, proportional representation electoral systems, ideological beliefs, and the nature of democracy.

Explanations for Women’s Representation in Developing Countries

Key factors include civil war contexts and international linkages compelling legislative change.

Civil War

Conflict between organized groups within a state largely over government control, territorial independence, or significant policy changes.

International Linkages

The influence of international organizations prompting governments to legislate specific policies.

How Does the Influx of Qualified Female Candidates Affect Female Representation Post-Civil War?

Women become politicized through roles as soldiers or active participation in organizations and movements.

How Does Demographic Change Affect Female Representation Post-Civil War?

Post-civil war, the death or imprisonment of men in power may lead to women making up a larger percentage of the adult population.

How Does Regime Change Affect Female Representation Post-Civil War?

Removal of incumbent politicians opens opportunities for women to enter politics.

How Does an Overhaul of the Political System Affect Female Representation Post-Civil War?

Institutional changes driven by internal or external pressures can facilitate women's political participation.

How Does Modernizing Revolution Affect Female Representation Post-Civil War?

Support for leftist movements promoting women's emancipation increases women's representation in politics.

How Do Changing Gender Roles Affect Female Representation Post-Civil War?

Women assume new responsibilities during wartime, challenging traditional perceptions about gender roles.

How Does the Political Utility of Women Increase Affect Female Representation Post-Civil War?

Political parties or voters begin to value the characteristics and contributions of women more highly.

1995 UN Conference on Women in Beijing

A pivotal event that shifted global gender norms and increased international pressure regarding women's issues in conflicts.

Impacts of Beijing Conference

Post-conference conflicts tended to have greater effects on women's representation in legislation.

Intraparty Competition

Competition occurring within a political party.

Interparty Competition

Rivalry that exists between different political parties.

Tandem Quotas

Implementation of national gender and minority quotas simultaneously.

National Gender Quotas

Quotas enacted at the national level aimed at promoting gender equality.

Party Gender Quotas

Quotas that are established and enforced at the party level to ensure gender parity.

Minority Quotas

Quotas aimed at increasing racial and ethnic diversity.

Mixed Quotas

Any combination of both party level and national level quotas for gender or minority representation.

Double Barriers

Layered challenges that make it more difficult to access power, such as simultaneously overcoming obstacles related to both race and gender.

Strategic Opportunities

Advantages that arise from being a woman and also belonging to another marginalized group.

Puzzle of Success

A phenomenon where women from racial and ethnic minority groups often hold a larger portion of legislative seats compared to women from majority groups, possibly due to perceptions of being less threatening or fulfilling multiple representational criteria.

Complementary Advantage

A situation where a young minority woman runs for office alongside an old, majority white incumbent, contributing to a more balanced electoral ticket.

Multiculturalism

A framework that embraces and celebrates diverse cultural identities within a society.

Family Law

Legal regulations and norms governing family relationships, including marriage, divorce, child custody, and property.

Intersectional Invisibility

The experience of those with multiple marginalized identities being viewed as 'non-prototypical' and thus rendered 'invisible,' ignored, or underrepresented within their identity group.

Hypervisibility

The phenomenon in which women politicians of diverse backgrounds become prominent or conspicuous due to their unique features, such as wearing a hijab, potentially facing gendered Islamophobia.