The Effectiveness of Electoral Quotas on Parliamentary Governance Structures

The electoral quota passed in Spain in March 2007 aimed at increasing the number of female MPs in the 18 national and regional parliaments. Those numbers were generally increased, above 40% of the seats in each chamber. Nevertheless, its more questionable the extent to which the quota was effective regarding the access of female MPs to the parliamentary governance structures, both vertically and horizontally understood. In this paper we analyze the impact and effectiveness of the electoral quota in those 18 diverse parliaments 10 years after the electoral quota was passed. We will measure the number of female MPs in parliamentary committee boards and spokesperson positions, as well as their allocation in committees with different political profile. Our final objective is to check whether the effectiveness of quotas goes beyond the increase of female MPs numbers and has a relevant impact on parliamentary governance structures.