Gender quotas in elections - A case study on the January 2008 elections in Taiwan

UNIVERSITY OF TURKU

Political Science/ Faculty of Social Sciences

MATTI RAURAMO

Bachelor's thesis, 28 p.         ABSTRACT

October 2008

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GENDER QUOTAS IN ELECTIONS – A CASE STUDY ON THE  JANUARY 2008 ELECTIONS IN TAIWAN

Gender quotas are in use in over 100 countries. Taiwan is however the first country to adopt a gender quota of 50% of the elected officials in democratic elections.

This study shows the effects of the new quota on the number of both the female candidates and the female electees in the January 2008 Legislative Yuan elections. The background to this research is the hypothesis that the new quota will increase the number of the female candidates and the female electees. The other hypothesis is that the new quota will also have a similar effect on the local districts that have not adopted the new gender quota.

There were  many significant changes in the January 2008 Legislative Yuan election. The most important changes were seen in the number of seats, the new division of constituencies and the new gender quota. The number of seats was reduced from 225 to 113, out of which 73 members were elected from the single-member local districts, 6 from the indigenous peoples quota and 34 at-large seats from one, nationwide constituency. The new gender quota was used in this nationwide constituency’s electees.

Quotas are internationally controversial in their adaptation and implementation. The criticism about quotas is that they are non-democratic and discriminating towards men. Still, it is shown that gender quotas can act as the ‘fast track’ in gender-equal political representation. Although 50% of the world’s population is women, a 50% female representation in any parliament in the world is yet to be seen.

Taiwan has implemented gender quotas since 1947. Because of the complicated relations with the People’s Republic of China, Taiwan had martial laws up until 1987. It can be said that the first democratic elections for the Legislative Yuan were held in 1992. This thesis compares the number of female candidates and electees for all the election years between 1992 and 2008.

This study shows that the implementation of gender quotas in Taiwan has had an effect on the number of both its female candidates and electees. Furthermore, the new gender quota in the 2008 Legislative Yuan election has had a remarkable effect on local district elections, which did not implement the quota. 

Keywords: gender, quotas, gender equality, Taiwan, elections