Abstract
Women empowerment is a multidimensional and emerging proposition that is frequently
elaborated diversely. Gender parity and equality are important components for reducing the
under-representation of women. Politics has always been taken as a masculine realm,
excluding women’s role from it. Since the ancient times, women have been marginalized in
this male-occupied domain, who applied different tactics to keep them away from it.
Observing these disparities, the United Nations made continuous efforts to improve the
situation as it was not a political issue, but equally hurdling social and economic
development. However, from 1975-1995, female representation increased only 0.7 percent,
whereas a slight downward trend was observed in upper houses of the parliaments.
Currently, more than 130 countries have introduced gender quotas in their national
parliaments. Owing to the great expansion of gender quotas during the last fifteen years,
quota policies caused huge electoral reforms in recent years. A visible shift occurred in those
countries where women’s representation was nominal. It seems that quotas’ policies are
instrument to ensure gender representation. However, the system is not free of flaws, as
token women sometimes reduce its usefulness. The study is to explore the quota system in
different countries, looking its effectiveness and contribution to women’s empowerment and
securing their position, maintaining political parity.
