“Women's empowerment and their full participation on the basis of equality in all spheres of society, including participation in the decision-making process and access to power, are fundamental for the achievement of equality, development and peace.”(Beijing Declaration, 1995)
Gender quotas in election can be a means to boost women’s participation in politics. This is in line with the international agenda for women’s advancement in all spheres, as mention in the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and also Beijing Platform for Action 1995. Now gender quota seems became ‘fever’, which is followed by several countries in the world.
In Indonesia, the regulation on gender quota for the first time is introduced on 2003 through Law number 23/ 2003. New law on Legislative General Election (Law number 10/2008) and Political Party (Law number 2/2008) also regulated gender quota. Mentioned on that law, every political party should ensure at lease 30% quota of women representatives in the process of establishment, as well as in the board structures. Furthermore, a political party could participate in 2009 general election if there were at least 30% women in the party’s board. But, that regulation seems as just a symbolic sign, since not followed by clear regulated implementation as well as sanction for non-compliance.
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