Gender Quotas Database
Eswatini
Southern Africa
Single / Lower House
House of Assembly
| Total seats | 74 |
| Total women | 16 |
| Percentage of women | 22% |
| Election year | 2023 |
| Electoral system | FPTP |
| Quota type | Reserved seats |
| Election details | IDEA Voter Turnout - IPU Parline |
| Legal source | Details | |
|---|---|---|
| Quota type: Reserved seats | Constitution |
The Constitution requires that women should constitute 30% of the Parliament: ‘[T]he House of Assembly shall consist of not more than seventy-six members [including] four female members specially elected from the four Regions’ (Constitution 2005, Art. 95, para. 1c). ‘The nominated members of the House shall be appointed by the King […] so that at least half of them are female’ (Constitution 2005, Art. 95, para. 2a). ‘Where at the first meeting of the House after any general election it appears that female members of Parliament will not constitute at least thirty per cent of the total membership of Parliament, then, and only then, the provisions of this section shall apply. […] For the purposes of this section, the House shall form itself into an electoral college and elect not more than four women on a regional basis to the House in accordance with the provisions of section 95(3).’ (Constitution 2005, Art. 86, para. 1, 2) |
| Electoral law |
This act shall apply: (a) at the first meeting of the House after a general election, or (b) where, at the first meeting of the House after a general election, it appears that female members of Parliament will not constitute at least thirty per centum of the total membership of Parliament. (Article 3, Gender Quota Law) Number of women members to be elected: The House shall, under this Act, elect one woman from each region to be members of House. (Article 6, Gender Quota Law) Nomination by House: (1) At the first meeting of the members of the House after general elections and subject to section 4, the members of the House shall immediately proceed with nominating women members on regional basis. (2) The members of the House shall nominate not less than three and not more than five women from each region to be members of the House. ... (Article 8, Gender Quota Law) |
|
| Is the provision of direct public funding to political parties related to gender equality among candidates? | No data | See more in International IDEA's Political Finance database |
| Are there provisions for other financial advantages to encourage gender equality in political parties? | No data | See more in International IDEA's Political Finance database |
Upper House
Senate
| Total seats | 30 |
| Total women | 14 |
| Percentage of women | 47% |
| Election year | 2023 |
| Electoral system | Indirectly elected and appointed |
| Quota type | Reserved seats |
| Election details | IPU Parline |
| Legal source | Details | |
|---|---|---|
| Quota type: Reserved seats | Constitution | ‘Ten Senators, at least half of whom shall be female, shall be elected by the members of the House in such manner as may be prescribed by or under any law at their first meeting so as to represent a cross-section of the Swazi society. […] Twenty Senators, at least eight of whom shall be female, shall be appointed by the King acting in his discretion after consultation with such bodies as the King may deem appropriate.’ (Constitution 2005, Art. 94, par 2, 3) |
Voluntary Political Party Quotas*
| Party | Official Name | Details, Quota provisions |
|---|---|---|
| No data available. | ||
* Only political parties represented in parliament are included. When a country has legislated quotas in place, only political parties that have voluntary quotas that exceed the percentage/number of the national quota legislation are presented in this table.
Additional information
Sources
Legal Sources:
Other Sources:
- Parliament of Eswatini - Link
- Electoral Commission - Link
- SADC Gender Protocol 2012 Barometer. Gender Links. [Accessed 2014-04-04]
- Interparliamentary Union [IPU]. Eswatini Country Profile.
Additional reading
- See the latest updates on Eswatini on iKNOW Politics
- Human Rights Watch. World Report 2020. "Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) Events of 2019" [Accessed 2021-10-22]
- Human Rights Watch. World Report 2021. "Eswatini Events of 2020" [Accessed 2021-10-22]
- Interparliamentary Union [IPU]. 2018. Women in parliament in 2018 - The year in review.
- UNFPA Eswatini. March 8, 2018. Let Us Not Leave Women Behind in Decision Making.
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