SHARECountry Data
Bosnia and Herzegovina (Bosnia and Herzegovina) has a Bicameral parliament with legislated quotas for the single/lower house and at the sub-national level. 8 of 42 (19%) seats in the Predstavnicki dom / House of Representatives 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? No
- For the Sub-National Level? Yes
Are there voluntary quotas...
- Adopted by political parties? No
Is there additional information?...
- Yes
Last updated: Jan 17, 2023
Single/Lower House
Predstavnicki dom / House of Representatives
| Total seats | 42 |
| Total Women | 8 |
| % Women | 19% |
| Election Year | 2022 |
| 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 | Article 4.19.(3) of the Electoral Code establishes that: "Every candidates list shall include candidates of male and female gender, who are equally represented. The equal representation of the genders shall exist in case when one of the genders is represented with minimum of 40% of the total number of candidates on the list. The minority gender candidates shall be distributed on the candidates list in the following manner: at least one minority gender candidate amongst the first two candidates, two minority gender candidates amongst the first five candidates, and three minority gender candidates amongst the first eight candidates, et seq"
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| Legal sanctions for non-compliance | Electoral law | Article 4.21 of the Electoral Code establishes that: "The Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Hercegovina shall notify the political party, coalition or list of independent candidates of any rejected individual candidates. A political party, coalition, or list of independent candidates shall have five days after the date of receipt of such notification to correct a candidates list by replacing candidates or providing further documentation if requested by the Central Election Commission of BiH" |
| Rank order/placement rules | Electoral law | Article 4.19.(3) of the Electoral Code establishes that: "The minority gender candidates shall be distributed on the candidates list in the following manner: at least one minority gender candidate amongst the first two candidates, two minority gender candidates amongst the first five candidates, and three minority gender candidates amongst the first eight candidates, et seq" |
| Is the provision of direct public funding to political parties related to gender equality among candidates? | Yes | 10% of the public funding budget is distributed to parliamentary groups proportional to the number of seats belonging to less represented gender 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: Legislated Candidate Quotas
| Legal source | Details | |
|---|---|---|
| Quota type: Legislated Candidate Quotas | Constitution | |
| Electoral law |
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| Legal sanctions for non-compliance | Electoral law | Article 4.21 of the Electoral Code establishes that: "The Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Hercegovina shall notify the political party, coalition or list of independent candidates of any rejected individual candidates. A political party, coalition, or list of independent candidates shall have five days after the date of receipt of such notification to correct a candidates list by replacing candidates or providing further documentation if requested by the Central Election Commission of BiH" |
| Rank order/placement rules | Electoral law | Article 4.19.(3) of the Electoral Code establishes that: "The minority gender candidates shall be distributed on the candidates list in the following manner: at least one minority gender candidate amongst the first two candidates, two minority gender candidates amongst the first five candidates, and three minority gender candidates amongst the first eight candidates, et seq"' |
Additional Information
In 1998, the Provisional Election Commission adopted a minimum 30% quota for women on every party list. In the 1998 elections this resulted in a dramatic increase in women’s representation at all legislative levels. In 2000, this rule was codified into the Election Law of Bosnia and Herzegovina and applied to all party lists in the 2000 national and municipal elections. However, the electoral law was reformed at the same time to provide an open-list proportional electoral system, which subsequently reduced the impact of legislated candidate quotas (International IDEA 2004: 39). In the 2014 election, "in line with recent amendments to the election law, 42% of candidates were women" (OSCE/ ODIHR Election Observation Mission 2014: 12 ). However, women obtained only 21.4% of the seats, according to IPU (www.ipu.org) up from 17% in the 2010 elections. In the 2018 general elections, women candidate registration was considerable, but the percentage of women being elected into the Bosnia and Herzegovina House of Representatives (BiH HoR) remained at 21.4 %, and the share of women elected into the BiH HoR on state level decreased from 23% in the 2014 elections to only 16% (two women) in the 2018 elections (OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation MIssion 2018: 2, 14).
Sources
LEGAL SOURCES:
- Electoral Code of Bosnia & Herzegovina (English version) (rev. 2017)
OTHER SOURCES:
- Boric, B, ‘Application of Quotas: Legal Reforms and Implementation in Bosnia and Herzegovina’, in J. Ballington and F. Binda (eds), The Implementation of Quotas: European Experiences, Quotas Report Series no. 4 (Stockholm: International IDEA, 2005);
- Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, Bosnia and Herzegovina General Elections 12 October 2014
- Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, Bosnia and Herzegovina General Elections 7 October 2018
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Inter-Parliamentary Union, IPU Parline Bosnia and Herzegovina
Additional reading
- See the latest updates on Bosnia and Herzegovina on iKNOW Politics
- Westminster Foundation for Democracy [WFD]. Women and young people – a catalyst for change in Bosnia and Herzegovina December 2021.
- Council of Europe. 2019. Violence against women in politics in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
- United Nations Development Programme [UNDP]. 2019. Baseline study on barriers to political participation of women in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
- OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina, http://www.oscebih.org/oscebih_eng.asp
- Antic, M.G and Lokar, S. 2006. 'The Balkans: from total rejection to gradual acceptance of gender quotas', in Dahlerup, D. (ed.) Women, Quotas and Politics, London/New York: Routledge, pp. 138-167.
- Bulgarian Gender Research Foundation. 2002. ‘A Compilation of NGO Reports from Balkan Countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina.’ Implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). 2002. pp.54-85.
- International Helsinki Federation (IHF) on Human Rights. 2002.
- Stability Pact Gender Task Force (SPGTF). 2002. Building National Gender Equality Mechanisms in South East Europe – Women's Use of the State.
- Woodward, A. 2001. ‘Women Are Doing It – Building a Gender Balanced Democracy using Sticks, Carrots and Kisses’. Stability Pact Gender Task Force Regional Meeting, Slovenia (SPGTF).
- International Helsinki Federation (IHF) Report: Women 2000.
- Association of Election Officials in BiH, http://www.aeobih.com/bos
- Bosnian Government, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, www.mvp.gov.ba
- Bosnia and Herzegovina Parliament website, http://www.parlament.ba/