Additional information about gender quotas

The Solomon Islands’ electoral system is based on a single member plurality system. It has recently enacted legislation that aims to increase the participation of women, through the Political Parties Integrity Act 2014.  The specific measure passed on the 27^th of May 2014, “A political party shall reserve for women at least ten per cent of the total number of candidates it selects and endorses to contest an election. [48. (1)]” is a provision meant to ensure a minimum level of women’s participation as candidates for election to parliament. However, a very low threshold of required minimum number of women candidates and the absence of any sanctions in case of non-compliance with the gender quota rule weakens the effect of such a legislative measure.  This new financial incentive has not increased the amount of women as candidates in any substantial way. In the elections of 2010, only 25 out of 509 candidates (5 %) vying for parliamentary seats were women, subsequently none were elected (iPU). In the election of November 2014 only 26 women were nominated as candidates out of total 443 submitted candidates (6%) (IPU), and only 1 woman was elected to parliament. Thus, with only 2 % of women in parliament, Solomon Islands have one of the lowest levels of women’s representation in parliaments around the world. According to IPU, only three women in the country’s history have won parliamentary representation (iPU).