Gendering Representation in Spain: Opportunities and Limits of Gender Quotas

Abstract

This article explores the gender regime that regulates access to, and the biased power distribution embedded in, political office at the local level, a seriously underresearched unit of analysis. Ultimately, it aims to contribute to wider reflection on the informal rules entrenched in political parties' candidate selection processes. I do so by analyzing candidate lists in the context of the application of a quota law. The article is empirically grounded in Spanish subnational politics. I find that quota laws do not eliminate gender differences among parties: Inequality is less marked in organizations with long-established gender quotas than in those where recent quotas, targets, or goals are used. Nonetheless, the prevalence of pervasive sexist organizational cultures within the parties impedes a greater efficacy of gender quotas. Finally, I show that women are more likely to recruit women than men and that women's agency in its diverse forms boosts female representation.