Democratic governance: the need for equal representation of women

Abstract

Failure of traditional parliamentary government to make laws respecting the real interests of the majority of voters at large, especially female voters, and the constant difficulty of achieving or maintaining adequate female representation in parliaments, demonstrate the need for new concepts in electoral structures, as well as in the style of parliaments and governing bodies. A new model would have to satisfy through the electoral system and through parliament the needs of the female population. A dual-list electoral system in which one list would have only women candidates, and the other only men, would go a long way toward extricating women from their present virtual unenfranchisement, and would thus lead to a global improvement in the quality of life. Such a system could be introduced whether or not the electoral system is one of proportional representation. Changes in the parliamentary system itself might best be considered after parliaments have achieved equal representation from men and women.