ECPR

Install the app

Install this application on your home screen for quick and easy access when you’re on the go.

Just tap Share then “Add to Home Screen”

ECPR

Install the app

Install this application on your home screen for quick and easy access when you’re on the go.

Just tap Share then “Add to Home Screen”

Explaining Success and Failure of Gender Quotas for Advisory Bodies: A Study on the Implementation of Gender Quotas in Ministerial Policy-Preparatory Working Groups in Finland

Gender
Governance
Institutions
Quota
Policy Implementation
Policy-Making
Anne Maria Holli
University of Helsinki
Anne Maria Holli
University of Helsinki

Abstract

Although there are ample studies on the factors which impact the success or failure of implementation in case of electoral quotas, insights on the mechanisms that affect the implementation of non-electoral quotas (which target advisory and other non-elected political bodies) are rare, if not non-existent. This paper seeks to contribute to this field of study, which has not been much in focus in feminist studies, partly due to very few countries utilizing such quota measures. The targeted case, Finland, has been considered to have the strongest non-electoral gender quotas of kind among those countries that utilize quotas for non-electoral political bodies. In Finland, gender quota regulations cover also policy-making and preparatory bodies and the executive branch of local level government. The quota law decrees at least a minimum of 40 % of members of each gender in these bodies, and it has been in place since 1995. The paper presents a systematical analysis of the factors affecingt implementation of quotas at central government level. By contrast to existing strong sanction mechanisms for local level government, the Finnish ministries mostly function as their own watchdogs in regard to the implementation of gender quotas, which make their characteristics crucial for understanding quota implementation The project analyzes data from about 600 ministerial working groups from 2000-2015 and their compliance with/deviation from quota regulations (dependent variable). On basis of earlier research as well as insights derived from the qualitative interview data, variations in the implementation of quotas will be analyzed and explained with the characteristics of the ministries and e.g. their typical interaction patterns with relevant stakeholders (independent variables).