ELECTORAL SYSTEMS AND REPRESENTATIVENESS OF WOMEN IN ELECTED BODIES
Keywords:
elections, electoral law, electoral systems, gender equality, gender quotas, discrimination against womenAbstract
The article deals with the substantial issue of women’s enfranchisement. The author points out the complexity of the problem by disclosing its internal aspects: the right of women to be elected, their desire to stand for election as candidates, the inclusion of female candidates in a party list, the assignment of a deputy mandate as a result of the voting. It’s considered that the electoral system has a predominant influence on the level of women’s representativeness. The world practice shows that the states with proportional list electoral system tend to give female candidates more chances to be endowed with deputy mandates than the majoritarian system.
Author comes to the conclusion that the electoral system of Kazakhstan creates a favorable environment for the growth of women's representation in elective bodies, however, for having a real impact on this problem, certain criteria for representation must be established.
In this regard such method of enhancing the women’s participation in election as gender quotas is observed. The women’s representativeness depends on the methods and origin of such quotas, whether they are fixed in law (obligatory quotas) or in parties’ charter (voluntary quotas). Gender quotas is a wide-spread method used in nearly hundred countries. European countries prefer non-mandatory party quotas, while such countries as the Philippines, Belgium, Slovenia, France, Latin American use legislative quotas.
Having analyzed national legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan, charters of functioning political parties, author points out the absence of any guarantees for women’s representativeness in elected bodies and makes proposals for amendments to legislation in this sphere.