Additional information about gender quotas

In addition to the electoral law of 2011 which introduced the 30% minimum gender quota for candidate lists for publicly-elected offices, Colombian legislation recognizes the right of women to hold at least 30% of the highest public decision-making positions and of other public decision-making levels subject to appointment and removal, with powers of management and direction in designing, planning, coordinating, implementing and monitoring the actions and policies of the state. Exceptions to the law apply to the judiciary, administrative or other positions in which the acceptance, permanence and promotion are based solely on merit (Law 581/2000). The Legislative Act No. 1 of 2003 removed the constitutional barriers that had served as the basis for the Constitutional Court to declare the initial legislation on candidate quotas unconstitutional.

The gender quota provisions introduced by the electoral law of 2011 were implemented for the first time at the local government elections held on 30 October 2011. One month before the elections, 217 candidate lists had been rejected by the electoral administration for failing to comply with the gender quota. The electoral administration extended the deadline for submission of candidate lists in order to give political parties a chance to meet the quota requirements. As a result of the implementation of the gender quota, the participation of women candidates has significantly increased from just under 20% of the total number of candidates in the 2007 local elections, to just over 35% in 2011.