SHARECountry Data
Timor-Leste (Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste) has a Unicameral parliament with legislated quotas for the single/lower house and at the sub-national level. 25 of 65 (38%) seats in the National Parliament are held by women.
At a glance
Structure of Parliament: Unicameral
Are there legislated quotas...
- For the Single/Lower House? Yes
- For the Sub-National Level? Yes
Are there voluntary quotas...
- Adopted by political parties? No
Is there additional information?...
- Yes
Last updated: May 19, 2020
Single/Lower House
National Parliament
| Total seats | 65 |
| Total Women | 25 |
| % Women | 38% |
| Election Year | 2018 |
| Electoral System | List PR |
| Quota Type | Legislated Candidate Quotas |
| Election details | IDEA Voter Turnout - IPU Parline |
| Legal source | Details | |
|---|---|---|
| Quota type: Legislated Candidate Quotas | Constitution | |
| Electoral law | Under Article 12 (3) of the 2006 Law on the Elections of the National Parliament (as amended in 2011), on electoral lists, 1 out of every group of 3 candidates must be a woman. | |
| Legal sanctions for non-compliance | Electoral law | The list will be rejected if it does not comply with the quota provisions (Article 12 (3)). |
| Rank order/placement rules | Electoral law | On electoral lists, 1 out of every group of 3 candidates must be a woman (Article 12 (3)). |
| Is the provision of direct public funding to political parties related to gender equality among candidates? | No | See more in International IDEA's Political Finance database |
| Are there provisions for other financial advantages to encourage gender equality in political parties? | No | See more in International IDEA's Political Finance database |
Quota at the Sub-National Level
- Quota type: Reserved seats
| Legal source | Details | |
|---|---|---|
| Quota type: Reserved seats | Electoral law | Both men and women, without discrimination, may participate as candidates and be elected Local (‘Suco’) Chiefs or Members of the Local (‘Suco’) Councils. The Law further stipulates that Local (‘Suco’) Councils shall be composed of the Local (‘Suco’) Chief, the Chiefs of all the villages that are included in the local districts (‘Sucos’) and, additionally, 2 women, 2 youth representatives, 1 of each sex, and 1 elder (Law No. 2/2004 on the Elections of the Local (‘Suco’) Chiefs and the Local (‘Suco’) Councils, Articles 2 (2) and 3 (1)). |
| Legal sanctions for non-compliance | N/A | Not applicable |
| Rank order/placement rules | N/A | Not applicable |
Additional Information
A debate on the introduction of quotas for women took place in Timor-Leste during the period of the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) between October 1999 and April 2001 (Ballington and Dahlerup 2006: 251–52). During this period, Rede Feto Timor Leste (a network of 16 women’s organizations) proposed that a mandatory quota be stipulated in the electoral regulation, relying on the Beijing Platform of Action and the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). At least 30 per cent of women candidates were to be proposed in the political party lists and placed in winnable positions, with every third candidate listed from the top being a woman. However, in 2001 the National Council rejected quotas. Article 12. 3 of the electoral law was eventually adopted in 2006, providing that one out of every four candidates on electoral lists must be a woman. This quota was revised in 2011 to provide for an improved rule that includes a woman in every three candidates on candidate lists.
Sources
LEGAL SOURCES:
- Constituição da República Democrática de Timor-Leste em 2002 [Constitution of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste 2002], accessed 24 April 2018;
- Lei no 7/2011 de 22 de Junho Segunda Alteração à Lei no 6/2006, de 28 de Dezembro (Lei eleitoral para o Parlamento Nacional) [Law no. 7/2011 of 22 June 2011 amending Law no. 6/2006 of 28 December 2006 on Elections to the National Parliament], accessed 04 April 2014;
- Lei no 2/2004 de 18 de Fevereiro sobre eleição dos Chefes de Suco e dos Conselhos de Suco [Law no. 2/2004 of 18 February 2004 on elections of municipal chiefs and municipal councils], accessed 04 April 2014;
OTHER SOURCES:
- Ballington, J. and Dahlerup, D., ‘Gender Quotas in Post-conflict States: East Timor, Afghanistan and Iraq’, in D. Dahlerup (ed.), Women, Quotas and Politics (New York: Routledge, 2006)
Additional reading
- Ballington, J. and Dahlerup, D. 2006. ‘Gender quotas in post-conflict states: East Timor, Afghanistan and Iraq’, in Dahlerup, D. Women, Quotas and Politics, London/New York: Routledge, pp. 249-258.
- Pires, Milena. 2002. ‘East Timor and the Debate on Quotas.’ International IDEA, Regional Workshop on the Implementation of Quotas: Asian Experiences. Jakarta. Indonesia, September 2002.
- ‘East Timor: women demand 30% quota.’ 2001. Off Our Backs 31, no. 4: 5.
- Peace Women. 2001. Security Council Resolution 1325 - One Year On.
- UN Women Asia and the Pacific, https://asiapacific.unwomen.org/en