Reserved for Whom? The Electoral Impact of Gender Quotas in Taiwan
Journal
Pacific Affairs
Journal Volume
89
Journal Issue
2
Pages
325-343
Date Issued
2016
Author(s)
Abstract
Since the 1990s, gender quotas in elections have become a global phenomenon. One of the issues raised about gender quotas concerns the qualifications of quota women. A previous study that looked at France’s parity law showed quota women are as competent as or even more competent than non-quota women or non-quota men. The French experience, under the proportional representation system, only allows for a comparison of average qualifications between quota women and their non-quota counterparts. Taiwan has had reserved seats for women since the 1950s and had a series of increases in the number of these reserved seats in the 1990s. Taiwan’s experience under the SNTV (single non-transferrable vote) electoral system sheds better light on the issue concerning the qualifications of quota women. Based on the outcomes of Taiwan’s three local elections in the 2000s, this paper provides a direct comparison of qualifications between women who are elected through reserved seats and the men they unseated. The results show that the majority of women elected through the reserved seats have equal or better qualifications than the men they unseated. Moreover, increasing reserved seats or gender quotas enhances not only women’s political participation but also political competition.
Type
journal article