From Quotas to Parity: 30 Years of Reforms

The political representation of women in Latin America has undergone a significant transformation over the last three decades. From Argentina's pioneering quota law in 1991 to recent parity reforms in several countries, the region has witnessed a dynamic process of change in its gender electoral regimes. The strength of the gender electoral regime, the commitment of electoral authorities, and the advocacy of feminist and women's movements have been key factors in advancing women's political representation (Freidenberg and Gilas 2022). This analysis examines the main trends in gender quota reforms in 18 Latin American countries from 1991 to 2021, based on data from the Observatory of Political Reforms in Latin America.