PRIORITY MEASURES TO BE UNDERTAKEN
PRIORITY MEASURES TO BE UNDERTAKEN

Summary/Abstract: The existing legal provisions - the gender quota for at least 40% of the less represented gender on the electoral lists (Article 4.19, Electoral Law BiH), the general and sanction-free provision on equal participation of women and men in the Government (Article 20 Gender Equality Law) have garnered progress, but they do not have the potential to ensure a significant increase in the number of elected women. For this reason alternative measures are necessary. In order to achieve equal participation of women and men at least two changes are needed. The first change refers to the Electoral Law BiH and it would introduce a gender quota of 50% (the so-called zipper system)3 as well as additional measures to give mandates to members of the less-represented gender (e.g. throughtheawardofmandates fromthecompensatoryelectoral lists). The second change addresses amendments oflaws that regulate the election of cantonal and entity governments and the Council of Ministers BiH. These laws need to be harmonized with Article 20 of the gender Equality Law BiH and they need to include a provision according to which the future governments could not be confirmed unless the minimum representation of 40% of both men and women is fulfilled.

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