Gender Quotas Database
Chile
South America
Single / Lower House
Cámara de Diputados / Chamber of Deputies
| Total seats | 155 |
| Total women | 55 |
| Percentage of women | 35% |
| Gender Quota target | 40% |
| Election year | 2021 |
| Electoral system | List PR |
| Quota type | Legislated Candidate Quotas |
| Election details | IDEA Voter Turnout - IPU Parline |
| Legal source | Details | |
|---|---|---|
| Quota type: Legislated Candidate Quotas | Electoral law |
Of all the declarations of candidacy for deputy or senator declared by the political parties, whether or not agreed upon, neither the male candidates nor the female candidates may exceed sixty percent of the respective total. This percentage will be mandatory and will be calculated regardless of the form of nomination of the candidates. … (Article 3 bis.) The Electoral Service Council, within ten days following the deadline for making the declaration of candidacies, must issue a resolution that will be notified to the email that political parties and independent candidates must inform in the moment of the declaration, which will be pronounced on: The special rule of article 3 bis, fifth paragraph, will only have application in the parliamentary electoral processes of 2017, 2021, 2025 and 2029. (Article 23) |
| Legal sanctions for non-compliance | Electoral law |
Violation of the above will result in the rejection of all declared candidacies for deputies or senators, as appropriate, of the party that has not complied with this requirement. (Article 3 bis.) The Electoral Service Council must reject all declarations of candidacy for deputy or senator, as appropriate, made by political parties, whether or not they are in an electoral pact, that do not comply with the sex percentage established in the fifth paragraph of the above mentioned article. |
| Is the provision of direct public funding to political parties related to gender equality among candidates? | Yes |
The law indicates that political parties are eligible to receive an additional amount of state subsidies in relation to the number of women elected in parliament. See more in International IDEA's Political Finance database |
| Are there provisions for other financial advantages to encourage gender equality in political parties? |
|
See more in International IDEA's Political Finance database |
Upper House
Senado / Senate
| Total seats | 50 |
| Total women | 13 |
| Percentage of women | 26% |
| Gender Quota target | 40% |
| Election year | 2021 |
| Electoral system | List PR |
| Quota type | Legislated Candidate Quotas |
| Election details | IPU Parline |
| Legal source | Details | |
|---|---|---|
| Quota type: Legislated Candidate Quotas | Electoral law |
Of all the declarations of candidacy for deputy or senator declared by the political parties, whether or not agreed upon, neither the male candidates nor the female candidates may exceed sixty percent of the respective total. This percentage will be mandatory and will be calculated regardless of the form of nomination of the candidates. … (Article 3 bis.) The Electoral Service Council, within ten days following the deadline for making the declaration of candidacies, must issue a resolution that will be notified to the email that political parties and independent candidates must inform in the moment of the declaration, which will be pronounced on: The special rule of article 3 bis, fifth paragraph, will only have application in the parliamentary electoral processes of 2017, 2021, 2025 and 2029. (Article 23) |
| Legal sanctions for non-compliance | Electoral law |
Violation of the above will result in the rejection of all declared candidacies for deputies or senators, as appropriate, of the party that has not complied with this requirement. (Article 3 bis.) The Electoral Service Council must reject all declarations of candidacy for deputy or senator, as appropriate, made by political parties, whether or not they are in an electoral pact, that do not comply with the sex percentage established in the fifth paragraph of the above mentioned article. |
Voluntary Political Party Quotas*
| Party | Official Name | Details, Quota provisions |
|---|---|---|
| Christian Democratic Party | Partido Demócrata Cristiano (PDC) |
According to article 105 of the party statutes, PDC has a 20 percent quota for women on electoral lists. This provision was adopted in 1996 but has been weakly enforced (Ríos Tobar, et al. 2008, p. 18, 24). |
| Party for Democracy | Partido por la Democracia (PPD) |
Neither men nor women should be represented on electoral lists by more than 60 percent (Party statutes, article 7). However, this provision has been weakly enforced (Ríos Tobar, et al. 2008, p. 18, 24). |
| Socialist Party of Chile | Partido Socialista de Chile (PS) |
Since 2003, the quota has been twofold: Neither of the sexes shall be represented on electoral lists by more than 60 percent; neither sex shall occupy more than 70 percent of the seats in parliament (Party statutes, Article 40). However, this provision has not been adhered to in practice (Ríos Tobar, et al. 2008, p. 18, 24). |
* 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
On January 20, 2015, Chile’s Congress approved a bill significantly reforming the national electoral system. There is now a provision that requires all political parties competing in congressional elections to ensure that no more than 60 percent of candidates on the ballot in every district are of the same sex, which means at least 40 percent of candidates on party ballots must be women. This will only apply to elections between 2017 and 2029.
The former Chilean president, Michelle Bachelet, introduced a Bill in the Lower House called "Participacion Politica Equilibrada de Hombres y Mujeres" (Equal Political Participation of Men and Women), commonly known as "Ley de Cuotas" (Quota Law), in October 2007.
The Bill (Mensaje 860-355/Boletin 5553-06) aims, on the one hand, to establish rules to ensure a balanced participation of men and women in the access and exercise of internal positions of political parties and of public responsibilities, and on the other hand, provides more fiscal support to female candidates who are elected, as well as, a larger amount of resources, than what applies according to law, to the political parties that shall include a greater number of women in their lists of candidates.
The Bill aims to facilitate access of women to positions of political representation by setting that either gender (male or female) may not exceed 70% of the internal positions of the political parties, of the lists of candidates and of the municipal and parliamentary elections.
This would entail the modification of "Ley de Partidos Politicos" (Law on Political Parties), "Ley de Votaciones Populares y Escrutinios" (Law on Popular Voting and Elections), "Ley Organica de Municipalidades" (Organic Law of Municipalities) and "Ley de Gasto Electoral" (Law on Electoral Expenditure).
The issue has been discussed in Chile many times before this Bill, but the motions were filed. So far the Bill has not made progress in Parliament.
May 15 and May 16 2021, Chileans elected the 155 citizens’ assembly - an assembly of delegated who will be in charge of writing a new constitution for the country – for the first time anywhere in the world, the constitution will be written by an equal number of men and women (The Guardian). Chilean women made such a strong showing in elections to pick candidates to draft the country's new constitution - so strong that adjustments to ensure the assembly was equally split between genders had to be made in favor of more men and not women (Reuters).
Sources
Legal Sources:
- Constitution of Chile - Link
- Electoral Law - Link
- Primary Election System - Link
- Political Parties Law (amended through 2017) - Link
Other Sources:
- See the latest updates on Chile on iKNOW Politics
- Parliament of Chile - Link
- Chilean Electoral Service - Link
- Llanos, B (2019). “Surcando olas y contra-olas. Una mirada paritaria a los derechos políticos de las mujeres en América Latina.“ Atenea, International IDEA, ONU Mujeres, UNDP.
- Ríos Tobar, M., Cook, M., & Hormazábal, D. (2008). "Buenas prácticas para la participación de mujeres en la política a través de los partidos políticos", in Del dicho al hecho: manual de buenas prácticas para la participación de mujeres en los partidos políticos latinoamericanos, Beatriz Llanos & Kristen Sample (eds.), Stockholm: International IDEA.
- Sauterel, M. (2015). "Más allá de los Números: Las Mujeres Transforman el Poder Legislativo en América Latina y el Caribe. Estudio del país: Chile" UNDP in collaboration with the Spanish Government.
- Inter-Parliamentary Union [IPU]. Chile Country Profile
- McGowan, C.(2021) "‘A game-changing moment’: Chile constitution could set new gender equality standard". The Guardian. (Accessed 2021-05-21).
- Laing, A. (2021) "Chile's women shine in constitution vote as more men need leg-up to stay even". Reuters. (Accessed 2021-05-21).
Additional reading
- Zovatto, D. & Jaraquemada, M. (2021) "Analysis of the elections in Chile". International IDEA, https://www.idea.int/news-media/news/analysis-elections-chile (Accessed 2021-05-28)
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Archenti, N. & Tula, M.I. (eds), Mujeres y política en América Latina. Systemas electorales y cuotas de género. Heliasta 2008.
-
Tobar, M.R. (ed), Mujer y política. El impacto de las cuotas de género en América Latina. IDEA & Flasco Chile 2008.
- Htun, Mala N. 2002. Women in Political Power in Latin America. Manuscript.
- Peschard, J. 2002. ‘El sistema de cuotas en América Latina. Panorama general,’ in International IDEA. Mujeres en el Parlamento. Más allá de los números, Stockholm: International IDEA, pp. 173-186.
- Franceschet, S. 2001. ‘ Women in Politics in Post-Transitional Democracies: The Chilean Case’, International Feminist Journal of Politics, vol.3, no.2, pp.207-236.
- Gonzalez, G. 2001. ‘Politics-Chile: Women Notably Absent from Parliamentary Ballots.’ Interpress Service, November 21.
- Jimenez Polanco, J. 2001. ‘La représentation politique des femmes en Amérique Latine: une analyse comparée’ (Women's political representation in Latin America: a comparative analysis). Bérengère Marques-Pereira and Patricio Nolasco (ed.) La représentation politique des femmes en Amérique Latine(Women's political representation in Latin America). Brussels: L'Harmattan. pp. 27-81.
- Nunez Villaroel, S. 2001. ‘La représentation politique des femmes au Chili.’ Bérengère Marques-Pereira and Patricio Nolasco (eds.) La représentation politique des femmes en Amérique Latine, Brussels: L'Harmattan. pp. 111-139.
- Inter-Parliamentary Union. 1999a. Participation of Women in Political Life: An assessment of developments in national parliaments, political parties, governments and the Inter-Parliamentary Union, five years after the Fourth World Conference on Women. Geneva: Inter-Parliamentary Union.
- Htun, Mala N. 1998. Women's Political Participation, Representation and Leadership in Latin America. Issue Brief, Women's Leadership Conference of the Americas.
- Moltedo, C. 1998. Experiencias de participación de las mujeres chilenas en los partidos políticos. Santiago: Instituto de la Mujer.
- Valenzuela, M.E. 1998. ‘ Women and the Democratization Process in Chile’. Jaquette, Jane and Wolchik, Sharon (eds.) Women and Democracy. Latin America and Central and Eastern Europe. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press.
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D’Albora, A. and Levine, S. 1996. Importancia de una ley de cuotas en Chile, Mujer &
Ciudadanía, Santiago: IDEAS Fundación. - Muñoz D'Albora, A. & Wojciechowski Levine, S. 1996. La importancia de una ley de cuotas en Chile. Santiago: Fundación IDEAS.
- Mufioz, A. et al. 1996. ‘Importancia de una Ley de Cuotas en Chile.’ In Mujer y Ciudadanía. Santiago: Fundación IDEAS.
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