Abstract :
Gender quotas have spread rapidly around the world in recent years. However, few studies have yet
theorized, systematically or comparatively, variations in their features, adoption and implementation.
This article surveys quota campaigns in Western Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand.
It proposes that one or more sets of controversies influence the course and outcomes of quota
reforms. These revolve around (1) competing principles of equality, (2) different ideas about political
representation, and (3) various beliefs about ‘gender’ and its relation to other kinds of political
identities. The article draws on these distinctions to identify four broad models of political citizenship
that determine the kinds of quota policies that are pursued and their prospects for bringing more
women into political office.
