SHARECountry Data
Haiti (Republic of Haiti) has a Bicameral parliament with legislated quotas for the single/lower house and upper house. 0 of 119 (0%) seats in the Chambre des Députés / Chamber of Deputies are held by women.
At a glance
Structure of Parliament: Bicameral
Are there legislated quotas...
- For the Single/Lower House? Yes
- For the Upper House? Yes
- For the Sub-National Level?
Are there voluntary quotas...
- Adopted by political parties? No
Is there additional information?...
- Yes
Last updated: Oct 28, 2021
Single/Lower House
Chambre des Députés / Chamber of Deputies
| Total seats | 119 |
| Total Women | 0 |
| % Women | |
| Election Year | 2015 |
| Electoral System | TRS |
| Quota Type | Reserved seats |
| Election details | IDEA Voter Turnout - IPU Parline |
| Legal source | Details | |
|---|---|---|
| Quota type: Reserved seats | Constitution | The Constitution as amended in 2012 recognizes the principle of a minimum quota of 30% for women at all levels, especially in public life (Article 17.1). The Constitution further requires that all laws related to political parties, their structures and functional mechanisms need to reserve minimum 30% of positions for women (Article 30.1.1). |
| Electoral law | ||
| Legal sanctions for non-compliance | N/A | Not applicable |
| Rank order/placement rules | N/A | Not applicable |
| Is the provision of direct public funding to political parties related to gender equality among candidates? | Yes | "During parliamentary elections, a political party or political group which presents at least fifty percent (50%) of female candidates and succeeds in electing half of them will benefit from a twenty-five percent (25%) increase in public funding at the next legislative election." Source: Article 129 , Decret Electoral, 2015 See more in International IDEA's Political Finance database |
| Are there provisions for other financial advantages to encourage gender equality in political parties? | Yes, reduced nomination fee | "The party or political group that registers 30% of women will benefit from a 40% discount on registration fees." Source: Article 92.1, Decret Electoral, 2015 See more in International IDEA's Political Finance database |
Upper House
Sénat / Senate
| Total seats | 10 |
| Total Women | 0 |
| % Women | |
| Election Year | 2017 |
| Electoral System | |
| Quota Type | Reserved seats> |
| Election details | IPU Parline |
| Legal source | Details | |
|---|---|---|
| Quota type: Reserved seats | Constitution | The Constitution recognizes the principle of a minimum quota of 30% for women at all levels, especially in the public life (Article 17.1). The Constitution further requires that all laws related to political parties, their structures and functional mechanisms need to reserve minimum 30% of positions for women (Article 30.1.1). |
| Electoral law | ||
| Legal sanctions for non-compliance | N/A | Not applicable |
| Rank order/placement rules | N/A | Not applicable |
Additional Information
While the Constitution recognized the general principle of a minimum 30% quota for women at all levels, the implementing legislation is necessary to translate this general provision into practical electoral and other mechanisms. Currently, no legislation relating to elections or political parties provides for such a mechanism.
The Union of Social Democrats of Haiti (Parti fusion des sociaux-démocrates haïtiens) has a 25% quota for women, but has not been represented in Parliament since the 2006 elections.
"Haiti is simultaneously facing a political crisis and a humanitarian one. Haitian president Jovenal Moïse was assassinated on 7 July 2021 by a group of mercenaries, destabilizing an already precarious political situation and plunging the country’s future into uncertainty" (UN Women).
Sources
LEGAL SOURCES:
- Loi constitutionnelle portant amendment de la constitution de 1987 (Constitutional Law amending the Constitutionn of 1987);
- Constitution of Haiti (rev. 2012) (English version)
- Constitution of Haiti (rev. 2014) (French version)
OTHER SOURCES:
- Lassègue, M. J. 2011. Towards a female quota: Supporting Haiti's newly adopted constitutional amendment. Feature Article. International IDEA.
Additional reading
- Tøraasen, M. (June 30, 2020). Women’s Status in Haiti Ten Years After the Earthquake.
- Moore, S.S. 2020. Between the state and the yard: gender and political space in Haiti, Gender, Place & Culture. doi:10.1080/0966369X.2020.1846500
- Gender Equality Observatory for Latin America and the Caribbean: Haiti. (Official website)
- International IDEA. 2014. Towards genuine application of the gender quota in Haiti: the importance of strengthening the capacity of women in political parties.