Attempts for introducing gender quotas in Slovenia started in the end of 1980s with general demands for more women in politics and at least verbal support for gender equality, continued in 1990s with several proposals in the Parliament to amend either electoral or party laws with the quota provisions which all failed and ended in the beginning of new millennium with the acceptance of gender quotas in the law at all levels. But there are still no big changes on the part of elected women especially at local and national levels where women still have not reached critical mass (30 percent). The paper explore the barriers to effects of legislative quota at macro level (electoral system, party system, etc.) and cultural (attitudes of general public) factors and mezzo level (lack of social networks and support of women in politics) and micro level (lack of support in everyday life).
