Journal of Undergraduate Research
Keywords
women, South Africa, African National Congress, rationalist, constructivist
College
Family, Home, and Social Sciences
Department
Political Science
Abstract
South Africa’s conservative cultural traditions, significant rates of poverty, and recent transition to democracy make it surprising that it’s Parliament has twice the percentage of women as the worldwide average–29.8% in the National Assembly and 31.5% in National Council of Provinces.1 What explains South Africa’s exceptional number of female Members of Parliament (MPs)? South Africa’s dominant political party, the African National Congress (ANC), implemented a quota system for women when choosing their candidates–they require every third candidate to be a woman. Thus, because the ANC controls about a third of the seats in Parliament, it has a significant impact on how many women are in Parliament.
Recommended Citation
Preece, Jessica R. and Nielson, Dr. Daniel
(2013)
"Quotas for Women in South Africa’s African National Congress: A Rationalist/Constructivist Approach,"
Journal of Undergraduate Research: Vol. 2013:
Iss.
1, Article 369.
Available at:
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/jur/vol2013/iss1/369