Equal Representation without Legislation

My contribution focuses on the implementation of non–legislative measures on descriptive representation of women (DRW) in Sweden 1994 - 2020. As legislative measures on DRW have been rejected in Sweden, I will discuss the ways in which other measures have been implemented. Special attention will be paid at the formal and informal rules, practices, and norms that shape candidate selection, the actors that promote change, as well as the factors that may help or hinder a successful implementation, including institutional and individual resistance to implementation. In particular, I will highlight role of an informal rule on gender balance, which shapes the behavior of selectors in Sweden. My contribution will show that other measures than legislative gender quotas might have positive results in terms of equal representation of women and men in elected bodies, but it will also discuss the risks that this model to equal representation is associated with.