Abstract The introduction of electoral gender quotas in more than 100 countries around the globe has led to a substantial increase in the number of women holding political office. To date, research on quotas has focused primarily on their design, adoption, and effects on the numbers of women elected. Yet, these measures are not simply linked to concerns about increasing the numbers of women in elected office. Arguing their case for quotas, advocates around the world have suggested that such provisions will increase diversity among the types of women elected, raise attention to women’s issues in policy-making processes, change the gendered nature of the public sphere, and inspire female voters to become more politically involved. At the same time, opponents have expressed concerns that quotas will facilitate access for “unqualified” women, bring women to office with little interest in promoting women’s concerns, reinforce stereotypes about women’s inferiority as political actors, and deter ordinary women’s political participation. These varied expectations indicate that quotas may have a host of positive and negative effects above and beyond their impact on the numbers of women elected. However, despite their prevalence in quota debates, the empirical validity of these claims has not yet been systematically addressed. Seeking to initiate a “second generation” of research on gender quotas, this volume represents a collective effort by its contributors to inspire a new literature focused on theorizing and studying their broader impact on politics and society, focusing on women’s descriptive, substantive, and symbolic representation.
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