Additional information about gender quotas

The Electoral Code of 2012 was modified on 23 November 2017, through approval of Law No 27,412. Although the draft had been approved in the Senate in October 2016, it did not reach the Chamber of Deputies until shortly before the end of the 2017 session. In the long session on November 22, Rep Victoria Donda (Movimiento Libres del Sur asked that the project be treated on the tables. This, in the early hours of the morning, with 165 votes in favour, 4 votes against, 2 abstentions and 82 absent deputies, the bill became the law.

The Electoral Code of 2012 was modified on 23 November 2017, through approval of Law No 27,412. Article 60.3 of the law establishes that the lists of candidates for the National Congress (Deputies and Senators) and the Mercosur Parliament must be carried out ´placing interspersed women and men from the first titular candidate to the last alternate candidate´. The Law, therefore, takes female representation on the electoral lists to 50 per cent, guaranteeing the principle of gender equivalent participation. This decision is in tune with the local legislation of some provinces, such as Santiago del Estero, Córdoba, Río Negro and, more recently, Buenos Aires, which for several years now have laws of equivalent gender participation.

In 1993, Decree 379 set a minimum number of seats that would have to be accorded to women: at least one post when 2-4 were available, at least two posts where 5-8 were available, at least three when 9-11 were available, at least four when 12-14 were available, at least five when 15-18 were available, and at least six when 19-20 were available. Also in 1993, the law was clarified so that for every two males placed on the list, at least one female must also be placed; and when only two names are presented, one must be a woman. In 2000, this was extended to all elections and to all seats that a party was renewing (Marx & Borner 2008: 5).

By 1999, 22 of Argentina’s 24 provinces had adopted quota rules for the state legislature and for most municipal councils. During 2017 the elections were held to renew one-half of the seats (127) in the Chamber of Deputies on the normal expiry of the members' term of office. The results of that election show that 48 women were elected.  

The participation of women has risen to around 40% in the last years. In 2020, the country ranks number 19 in the IPU ranking of Women in Parliament.