Gender Quotas

Though gender quotas are highly successful in increasing the number of women elected to legislative positions, there are many drawbacks to their implementation. It is possible for these quotas to have no effect on legislation, as women are elected to these positions but are not given the power to make changes on matters such as femicide and domestic violence.

"8 of every 10 Ecuadorian women have suffered physical, psychological, or sexual violence. Don't ignore it anymore!"

“If more women are elected to legislatures, do these female newcomers represent the interests of female constituents? In other words, do female legislators support policies that benefit women in society, and do male legislators change their preferences and behavior in response?”

Jennifer M. Piscopo

It is possible for these quotas to have no effect on legislation, as women are elected to government positions but are not given the power to make changes on matters such as femicide and domestic violence. On the other hand, it is also true that gender quotas can have a negative effect on the nation’s stance and laws regarding women’s issues. For example, some shortcomings can include increase in domestic violence, the perpetuation of the gender wage gap, and the lack of genuine substantive representation of women (Silverman).

It is evident that gender quotas alone cannot make substantive change in Argentina: there must be other factors intended to enforce their efforts. One of the many justifications for the inclusion of women in legislation is that their presence will appease the female population and represent the issues they care about (Craske and Molyneux).

However, many legislators, male and female, who attempt to pass laws in support of women struggle to be heard by others. Until all legislators can agree that women’s rights are just as important as the rights of men, laws created to represent women will not be maintained and, therefore, unsuccessful.