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From Quota to Parity – The Case of Slovenia

This article discusses the journey of women's rights and representation in Slovenia, highlighting the challenges faced and the strategies employed to achieve gender parity in politics. It explores the history of women's movements, the persistence of discrimination, and the implementation of quota systems. The article also analyzes the failures and successes of various advocacy strategies, leading to the adoption of positive measures such as quotas in the constitution and electoral legislation.

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From Quota to Parity – The Case of Slovenia

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  1. FROM QUOTA TO PARITY – THE CASE OF SLOVENIA“POSITIVE ACTION CONFERENCE” THE NGO FORUM 50%OPEN SOCIETY FUND PROJECTPRAGUE, SEPTEMBER 14, 2007 SONJA LOKAR COORDINATOR OF THE CEE NETWORK FOR GENDER ISSUES CHAIR OF THE STABILITY PACT GENDER TASK FORCE

  2. THE HERITAGE - SLOVENIAN WOMEN’S MOVEMENT BEFORE TRANSITION • FIRST WOMEN’S ASSOCIATIONS BY THE END OF THE 19TH CENTURY • PERMANENT EFFORTS FOR WOMEN’S RIGHT TO VOTE FROM THE BEGGINNING OF THE 20TH CENTURY – NO RESULT TILL 1943 • COMMUNIST PARTY IN 1940 ADDOPTS A COMPEX PROGRAM FOR EMANCIPATION AND EQUALITY OF WOMEN – CLASS EMANCIPATION FRAMEWORK • ANTIFASCIST WOMEN’S FRONT 1941- 1956 • WOMEN’S FULL RIGHT TO VOTE FOR NATIONAL DEPUTIES ON LIBERATED TERRITORIES OF SLOVENIA IN 1943 – 13% OF ELECTED WOMEN • CIVILIZATIONAL PROGRESS OF WOMEN IN SLOVENIA FROM 1945-1989: EDUCATION, EMPLOYMENT, HEALTH CARE, SOCIAL RIGHTS, PENSION RIGHTS, FAMILY LAW, FREEDOM OF ABORTION • PERSISTANT DISCRIMINATION: EDUCATION AND JOB SEGREGATION, GASS CEILING, PAY GAP • TABOO THEMES: POLITICAL FREEDOM OF WOMEN, VIOLENCE, FREEDOM OF SEXUAL ORIENTATION • 30% QUOTA FOR WOMEN FROM 1975 – POLITICAL AGREEMENT, NOT IN THE LAW! NEVER MORE THAN 26% WOMEN MP-S; ONLY 6% WOMEN IN EXECUTIVE BODY OF THE LEAGUE OF COMMUNISTS – SEAT OF REAL POLITICAL POWER • FIRST NEW INDEPENDENT WOMEN’S MOVEMENT ALIVE FROM 1975 – 1986 SMALL GROUPS OF YOUNG UNIVERSITY INTELLECTUALS

  3. HONNEY MOON OF TRANSITION AND ITS TRAGIC END1986- 1990 • SECOND WAVE OF INDEPENDENT WOMEN’S MOVEMENT – 1986-1990 – END OF TABOO THEMES, INCLUSION IN THE DEMOCRATIZATION TIDE • ANTIMILITARISM, ALERT ON FREEDOM OF CHOICE (ABORTION), POLITICAL SHORTSIGHTNESS – NO SERIOUS EFFORTS TO INCLUDE POSITIVE MEASURES IN THE NEW ELECTORAL OR PARTY LEGISLATION – WOMEN DID NOT EVEN TRY TO GET A PLCE IN THE INFORMAL ROUND TABLE BETWEEN LEAGUE OF COM MUNISTS AND GROWING POLITICAL OPPOSITION • FAILED ATTEMPT OF ONLY WOMEN’S CITIZEN’S LIST IN 1990 • RESULT OF THE FIRST FREE ELECTIONS: CONSERVATIVE DEMOS IN POWER - FROM 26% DOWN TO 11% OF WOMEN DEPUTIES IN THE POLITICAL CHAMBRE OF THE NEW PARLIAMENT; ONLY TWO, AND AFTER ONE YEAR ONLY ONE WOMAN MINISTER • THE SWAN’S SONG OF THE SECOND INDEENDENT WOMEN’S MOVEMENT: THE COMMISSION FOR WOMEN POLITICS IN THE PARLIAMENT 1990; THE BATTLE FOR KEEPING THE ARTICLE ON FREE ABORTION IN THE NEW CONSTITUTION WON IN DECEMBER 1991

  4. 1991- 2001 - TEN YEARS OF LOST BATTLES FOR POSITIVE MEASURES FOR WOMEN IN POLITICS • INDEPENDENT WOMEN’S NGO-S SIDELINED AND LIMITING THEMSELVES ON SERVICES AND ADVOCACY AGAINST VIOLENCE AGIANST WOMEN • CONSERVATIVE POLITICAL PARTIES OPENLY ADVOCATE AGAINST QUOTAS – “COMMUNIST INVENTION PRODUCING TOKEN WOMEN” • PARTY QUOTAS: LIBERAL DEMOCRATS AND SOCIAL DEMOCRATS PRETTENDING TO BE IN FAVOUR – INCLUDED 30-50 % QUOTA IN THEIR STATUTES BUT NEVER RESPECTED THEM TILL 1996 • MOST MEDIA CAMPAIGNED AGAINST THE QUOTA, PUBLIC OPINION WAS ALL THE TIME IN FAVOR OF MORE WOMEN IN PLOLITICS BUT DEVIDED ON THE ISSUE OF POSITIVE MEASURES, ESPECIALLY LEGALLY BINDING QUOTA OR PARITY. • SEVEN FAILED ATTEMPTS OF SD AND LD WOMEN TO ENACT QUOTA FROM 1992 – 1996 • THE DISASTER OF THE LAST FAILURE IN 1996 – FROM 13 % DOWN TO 7.8% OF WOMEN MP-S, SLOVENIAN GOVERNMENT HAD A GOVERNMENT WITHOUT A SINGLE WOMAN MINISTER FOR THE FIRST TIME AFTER 1945

  5. LEARNING FROM OUR OWN MISTAKES ANALYSIS OF THE 1996 DISASTER - MAIN MISTAKES: • CONFRONTATIONAL APPROACH WITHIN THE PARTIES AND BETWEEN THE WOMEN GROUPS FROM DIFFERENT PARTIES; • NO BROAD COALTION & ADVOCACY & LOBBYING APPROACH NEW STRATEGIES: • FARWELL TO THE LOYALTY TO “MY PARTY ONLY” IN THE WOMEN’S IN POLITICS ISSUE – NEW TYPE OFWOMEN’S SOLIDARITY IN POLITICS • BROAD CROSS-CUTTING ISSUE COALITION: “COALITION FOR PARITY” • GIVING UP THE CONCEPT OF THE SMALLER PARTY AS A FLAGSHIP OF THE PROCESS • SUPPORTING WOMEN POLITICIANS FROM THE BIGGEST PARTY TO LEED THE PROCESS OF LOBBYING IN THE PARLIAMENT • FREE RIDE ON MAINSTREAM POLITICAL TRAIN STRATEGY – JUMPING INTO THE CHANGES OF THE • CONSTITUTION (2001) AND THE CHANGES OF THE ELECTORAL LEGISLATION (2004) • GETTING AS MANY AS POSSIBLE OF THE MALE PARTY LEADERS ON THE BOARD STRATEGY • SENDWICH STRATEGY - NATION WIDE ADVOCACY – POST CARD ACTION, “DELO” SUPPLEMENT” ACTION FROM THE BOTTOM UP, ORGANIZING PRESSURE FROM THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT PARTY FAMILIES FROM THE TOP DOWN – SQEEZING OUR PARTY LEADERS IN BETWEEN

  6. RESULTS FROM THE NEW STRATEGIES USED FROM 2001-2005 • NEW ARTICLE ON POSITIVE MEASURES (QUOTAS) IN THE CONSTITUTION – ADDOPTED IN 2004 • 40% MINIMUM QUOTA WITH PLACING RULES FOR MEN AND WOMEN IN THE LAW ON ELECTIONS OF EUROPEAN PARLIAMENTARIANS – 42% WOMEN ELECTED MEP-S FROM SLOVENIA IN 2004 • 20%, 30%, 40% MINIMUM QUOTA OF MEN AND WOMEN WITH PLACING RULES FOR LOCAL ELECTIONS ENACTED BY A CONSERVATIVE GOVERNMENT IN 2005 – % OF WOMEN COUNCILLORS RAISED FROM 12% TO 21,3%. • 35% MINIMUM QUOTA FOR MEN AND WOMEN FOR ALL LISTS FOR NATIONAL ELECTIONS, ENACTED IN 2005. SLOVENIA WILL VOTE ACCORDING TO THIS LEGAL PROVISION IN THE FALL OF 2008.

  7. REMAINING CHALLENGES – WHY SLOVENIAN QUOTAS ARE NOT GOOD ENOUGH • REAL EQUALITY IS NOT SET AT 20, 30 OR 40%, BUT AT 50%. • THE PROBLEM IS NOT ONLY TO GET THE FAIR SHAIRE OF THE PLACES ON THE CANDIDATE LISTS, BUT TO GET HALF OF ELIGIBLE PLACES ON ALL THE LISTS OR CONSTITUENCES, AND HALF OF ALL EXECUTIVE AND ADMINISTRATIVE POWER POSITIONS, AS WELL AS A HALF OF CRUCIAL POSITIONS IN THE PARLIAMENT, IN THE JUDITIONAL SYSTEM AND IN THE MEDIA. WE NEED PAIRTY RULES IN THE LAWS FOR MINISTERS, DIPLOMATS, MAYORS! • PLACING RULES ARE FAR TOO WEAK – WE NEED THE ZIPPER AND ALTERNATIONS OF WOMEN AND MEN AT THE TOP OF THE LISTS • OUR ELECTORAL SYSTEM FOR NATIONAL ELECTIONS NEEDS TO BE CHANGED IN A REALLY PROPORTIONAL ONE (EIGHT LISTS WITH 11 SEATS, NOT 8 LISTS WITH 11 UNINOMINAL CONSTITUENCIES) IF ONE WANTS TO MAKE THE QUOTA REALLY WORK • OUR BIGGEST PROBLEM IS NOT ANY MORE OUR PUBLIC OPINION, OUR MEDIA - OUR BIGGEST PROBLEM ARE STILL ALL OUR MALE DOMINATED PARTIES – WITH LACK OF INTERNAL DEMOCRACY, LACK OF IDEOLOGICAL PROFILE, LACK OF TRANSPARENCY AND HIDDEN MACHO MENTALITY. OUR WEAKEST POINT IS A MISERBLE STATE OF ART OF MOST WOMEN’S PARTY ORGANIZATIONS!

  8. NEW STRATEGIES ARE NEEDED • BREAK THROUGH IN SLOVENIA WAS BASED ON SANDWICH STRATEGY AND BROAD NATIONAL ISSUE COALITION - BOTH WERE POSSIBLE BECAUSE OF THE PROCESS OF EUROINTEGRATION. SLOVENIA BECAME A MEBER OF THE EU – THE QUESTION IS HOW TO RENEW THE PRESSURE FROM THE TOP DOWN AND HOW TO REORGANIZE THE PRESSURE FROM THE BOTTOM UP. • EUROPEAN UNION HAS VERY WEAK LEGAL FRAMEWORK FOR WOMEN’S POLITICAL RIGHTS. THE QUESTION IS HOW TO MAKE IT STRONGER, HOW TO LAUNCH A GREAT PAN-EUROPAEAN MOVEMENT FOR THE PARITY IN THE LAW, WHICH WILL BRING WOMEN HALF OF REAL POLITICAL POWER ALL OVER EUROPE. • MY SUGGESTION IS: LET US BUILD A CROSSCUTTING COALITION OF WOMEN FROM THE OLD AND NEW EU COUNTRIES AND EVEN FROM THE FUTURE EU MEMBER STATES. WE ALL NEED IT BADLY. I PROPOSE THE COALITION BETWEEN ALL WOMEN ACTIVISTS IN THE TRADE UNIONS, IN ALL POLITICAL PARTIES WHICH ARE WILLING TO JOIN, EWL, FEMINISTS IN ACCADEMIA, MEDIA, AND EVEN IN THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, EC AND IN OUR NATIONAL PARLIAMENTS AND GOVERNMENTS IF WE ONLY CAN FIND ANY!

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