Quantity without quality? The impact of legal quotas in gender representation

In 2007 a legal gender quota was approved in Spain in order to increase the number of women in institutional positions, specifically in representational bodies. In this paper I will analyze the real impact of the legal quota in National and regional Legislatures dealing on the recruitment of female MPs and on the role they play in the Legislatures. This analysis will take into account the increase in the number of women in Legislatures (from a quantitative point of view) as well as the positions which these female MPs occupy in the chambers (Presidencies, Chamber presidiums, committees, committees´presidiums, and so on, as well as the kind of committees in which they are more likely to be appointed). The aim is to assess the whole impact of a legal quota on the “quantity” and “quality” of female political representation. A multilevel approach will be applied in order to assess whether specific variables dealing with territory, culture and party strategies make a difference.