Ireland offers an example of the way in which gender quotas can be implemented in national parliaments

The issue of women’s representation in national parliaments has become more prominent over recent decades in several European countries. One mechanism for increasing the participation of women is the creation of gender quotas with respect to the number of female representatives within a parliamentary chamber.

Fiona Buckley outlines the lessons from Ireland, where a law introducing gender quotas was passed in 2012. She assesses the key features of the debate which led to the legislation, and some of the on-going challenges in ensuring its effective implementation.

• Primary Source

European Parliament: Electoral Gender Quota Systems and their Implementation in Europe. Update 2013 http://dx.publications.europa.eu/10.2861/2350

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