100 years after the introduction of women’s suffrage in Austria and Germany, the representation of women in national and sub-national parliaments still exhibits a substantial gender gap. Although most parties have instituted voluntary party quotas, the share of women in national and sub-national parliaments rarely reflects the intention of the quota. Comparing state and subnational effects of party quotas in Austria and Germany, we assess modes of compliance, built-in controls and sanctions, as well as respective implementation challenges on the federal and Länder levels.
Amending existing literatures that focus primarily on recruitment practices and on individual coping mechanisms with time- and energy-intensive engagement in political parties, we underscore the relevance of institutional and structural factors that inhibit the implementation of voluntary party quotas. As parties obviously bend and stretch voluntary quota regulations mostly to the disadvantage of women candidates, we investigate if alternatives are promoted and by whom. The paper draws on gendered candidate and election data, on party statutes of federal and state party organizations and on interviews with party officials and party women’s organizations.
