Positive measurement instrument aimed at accelerating the achievement of gender-balanced participation and representation by establishing a defined proportion (percentage) or number of places or seats to be filled by, or allocated to, women and/or men, generally under certain rules or criteria.
Quotas can be applied in order to correct a previous gender imbalance in different areas and at different levels, including in political assemblies, decision-making positions in public, political life and economic life (corporate boards), as well as to ensure the inclusion of women and their participation in international bodies, or as a tool to promote equal access to training opportunities or jobs.
Quotas aimed at increasing gender-balanced representation may be mandated by the constitution or by electoral, labour or gender equality law (legal gender quotas, which may entail sanctions for non-compliance), or applied on a voluntary basis (voluntary political party quotas). Types of quotas also differ depending on the aspect of the selection and nomination process that the quota targets.
The concepts and definitions found in this glossary were published in 2016, and some may be out-of-date. EIGE is currently looking into which terms may need to be updated in the future.