Women in Latin America and the Caribbean - Cepal

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29 In Bolivia, a quota law introduced in 1997 establishes that female candidates shall make up at least 30% of the list of candidates for seats in parliament. Owing to the law’s incompatibility with the electoral system and shortcomings in its formulation, however, women have yet to represent more than 16% of such posts in Bolivia, except in the Constituent Assembly (2007), in which 30% of representatives are women. In the Dominican Republic the electoral law has been amended twice. First in 1997, to oblige political institutions to include a proportion of no less than 25% of women in their nominations and proposals for congressional and municipal positions. Second, in 2002 a new law was passed to increase the proportion to 33% in provincial governments and municipal departments. In addition, the approval of Law 13-2000 on district executive boards (sindicaturas) provided for the addition of a paragraph to article 5 on municipal organization, stating that all parties must include a women on their electoral ticket for the election of district executives or deputy district executives. In Peru, the general elections act of 1997 stipulated a minimum proportion of 25% for either sex on lists of candidates for congress. This percentage was raised to 30% in 2000. In 2003 a new piece of legislation made it compulsory for candidate lists for party leadership positions and political groupings to have a certain quota of men or women. At the local level, candidate lists for municipal councillors have been required to comply with a gender quota since 1997. In 2002, the quota system became a constitutional requirement and minimum percentages were stipulated for gender representation in regional and municipal councils. Lastly, in 2007, the law on equal opportunities for women and men and a decree on policies with which national government entities are obliged to comply added measures to promote women’s access to decision-making in society and the public administration. In Ecuador the broad feminist movement played a prominent role in having provisions included in the Constitution of 1998, thereby establishing that the State shall promote the equitable participation of women and men as candidates in election processes, in management and decision-making within public affairs, in the administration of justice, in oversight bodies and in political parties (article 102). This provision has translated into an electoral law under which 23% of legislators elected to the single legislative chamber are women. In May 2007, the Supreme Electoral Tribunal approved the necessary regulations for enforcing the quota law. 12 In some countries, major strides are made from one period to the next. This is the case of El Salvador, where the proportion of women candidates jumped from 16% to 35% in the last administration. The sustainability of this continues to rely on the individual decisions of political parties, however. After a decade of campaigning, quota laws have been passed in 14 of the region’s countries (see table I.3). 12 Report of the Government of Ecuador presented at the Subregional preparatory meeting for South America for the tenth session of the Regional Conference on Women in Latin America and the Caribbean (Santiago, Chile, May 2007).
30 Table I.3 LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN (14 COUNTRIES): TIMELINE OF ENACTMENT OF QUOTA LAWS AND SUBSEQUENT AMENDMENTS Country Year of enactment of quota law Argentina 1991 1993 Bolivia 1997 2004 Brazil 1995 1997 Amendments Colombia 1999 2001- declared unconstitutional Costa Rica 1996 1999 Ecuador 1997 2000 Haiti a 2005 Honduras 2000 Mexico 1996 2002 Panama 1997 Paraguay 1996 Peru 1997 2001 Dominican Republic 1997 2000 Venezuela (Bolivarian Rep. of) 1997 2000 - declared unconstitutional b Source: Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), on the basis of International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA), “Global Database of Quotas for Women” [online] http://www.quotaproject.org/ [date of reference: 16 August 2006]. Responses of the Government of Haiti to the ECLAC questionnaire on unpaid work and political participation sent in September 2006. a An article in the most recent electoral decree reduces by two thirds the registration cost for all candidates of parties presenting electoral lists on which women represent at least 30%. b On 1 April 2005 the National Electoral Council of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela issued resolution no. 050401-179, which requires political organizations to alternate male and female candidates for national, municipal and parochial decisionmaking bodies, on a basis of parity. In Cuba, the only country without a quota law where women participate broadly in political decision-making, affirmative action procedures have been in place since 2002, in the form of an agreement with the Organizations of the State Central Administration (OACE). This consists of a commitment to work towards the formation of a vacancies roster formed by equal numbers of candidates of each sex and, from 2003 on, to make the final selection of appointees from a shortlist of two equally qualified candidates —a man and a woman— in order to ensure that decisions are made on a basis of equality. Guatemala is one of the countries where lack of affirmative action measures has been clearly felt. Between 1986 and 2003 there were never more than 14 female representatives in the legislature and Mayan women never had more than a single representative. This exclusion has led to a campaign entitled “More women, better politics” (Más mujeres, mejor política), which is aimed at increasing women’s participation in decision-making in the 2007 elections, when voting will be held for 3,720 positions in public office, including members of the Guatemalan and Central American parliaments, mayors and representatives to municipal corporations. Guatemalan women represent a minority in political parties and civic committees too. Women make up 51% of the total population, but only 44% of those registered to vote (56% of the electoral roll are men) and an even smaller percentage of actual voters. Female candidates are also few in number: 2,254 in 2003, compared to 21,451 male candidates. This contrasts
Page 2 and 3: LC/L.2738(CRM.10/3) August 2007 The
Page 4 and 5: 1 FOREWORD The Economic Commission
Page 6 and 7: 3 INTRODUCTION The women of Latin A
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81 Box II.6 HAITI. DOMESTIC WORKERS
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87 Box II. 7 (concluded) To sum up,
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89 are also inaccurate, which widen
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91 Some progress has been made sinc
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93 Figure II.15 AVERAGE HOURS SPENT
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95 Country Costa Rica El Salvador G
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105 Box II.12 EXAMPLES OF SOCIAL SE
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109 (iii) Contribute to the mainten
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111 Appendix TECHNICAL NOTES The st
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118 _____ (2003), "Políticas para
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120 Carrasco, Cristina (2001), “H
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122 _____ (2003b), “Redes de apoy
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124 Huenchuan, Sandra and José Mig
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126 Montaño, Sonia (2007a), “Emp
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128 Rico, María Nieves (2006), “
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130 _____ (1979), Convention on the
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