The impact of electoral quotas on women’s candidacy and representation: a case study of the debate in Indonesia

This article analyses debate on the effectiveness of gender quotas in Indonesia in the context of the international literature on the subject. The argument is that Indonesia’s quotas demonstrate that numerical (descriptive) gender quotas can contribute to increased women’s representation even where societal attitudes have not traditionally supported the involvement of women in public life. While the effect of quotas may lag behind legislative and regulatory reforms, quotas are effective if applied over successive elections, especially when strengthened through placement mandates and enforcement mechanisms. Such conclusions can address concerns about the usefulness of quotas amongst advocates for women’s representation in Indonesia. The article presents evidence of the positive impact of quotas on both votes for women and the election of women to parliament. Quantitative data from five elections are examined, including the number of women candidates, placement on the ballot, the vote for women and number of women elected, together with qualitative data from interviews with women candidates. Evidence shows that quotas have influenced political parties to increase the number of women candidates and to place some women in more favourable positions on party lists. Quotas have provided openings for women to strengthen their campaign experience and public profile, with growing numbers campaigning with the advantages of incumbency.