A Feminist Perspective on Political Sortition Cover Image

A Feminist Perspective on Political Sortition
A Feminist Perspective on Political Sortition

Author(s): Arina Antonia Iacob
Subject(s): Gender Studies, Politics and society
Published by: Societatea de Analize Feministe AnA
Keywords: sortition; descriptive representation; gender quotas; political efficacy; substantive representation;

Summary/Abstract: In this paper, I will try to analyze the extent in which feminists might take part in the political comeback of sortition. In the first section I will discuss the political implication of this mechanism and the arguments raised by those in favor of a political lottery. In the second section there will be an emphasis on the importance of descriptive representation in general, focusing on the feminist perspective, while talking about the idea of implementing gender quotas. Also, I will put forward a discussion surrounding various empirical studies that revealed the effects of gender quotas. At last, in the third section, I will try to point out the negative effects of gender quotas and the manner in which these can be avoided by using sortition, by referencing the basic principles of this random mechanism which can be used in association with the feminist principles.

  • Issue Year: 2015
  • Issue No: 5 (19)
  • Page Range: 55-78
  • Page Count: 24
  • Language: English