See also special areas

At a glance

Structure of Parliament: Unicameral

Are there legislated quotas...

  • Yes for the Single/Lower House?
  • Yes at the Sub-national level?

Are there voluntary quotas...

  • Yes adopted by political parties?

Costa Rica

(Republic of Costa Rica)

Single/Lower house

Asamblea Legislativa / Legislative Assembly

Total seats:57
Total women:21
% women: 37%
Election year:2006
Electoral System:
Quota Type: Legislated Candidate Quotas
Election details: IDEA Voter Turnout
IPU Parline
Legal sourceDetails
Quota type:
Legislated Candidate Quotas		 Electoral lawThere is a 40 percent quota for women in all public elections (Electoral Code, 2nd Transitory Section).
Legal Sanctions for Non-Compliance:Electoral lawThe electoral authorities reject lists that do not comply with the rules.
Rank order/placement rules:Electoral lawWomen must be placed in 40 % of the electable positions on party lists, where "electable position" is a seat the party won in the previous election (Resolution 1863 of 1999).

Sources | Additional information | Contact us

Last updated 1780-01-01

Quota at the Sub-National Level

Quota Type:Legislated Candidate Quotas
Legal sourceDetails
Quota type:
Legislated Candidate Quotas
 ConstitutionThere is a 40 percent quota for women in all public elections (Electoral Code, 2nd Transitory Section).
Legal Sanctions for Non-Compliance:Electoral lawThe electoral authorities reject lists that do not comply with the rules.
Rank order/placement rules:Electoral lawWomen must be placed in 40 % of the electable positions on party lists, where "electable position" is a seat the party won in the previous election (Resolution 1863 of 1999).

Sources | Additional information | Contact us

Last updated 1780-01-01

Voluntary Political Party Quotas*

No details available

Additional information

After the quota law was first implemented for the 1998 election, the electoral authorities did not reject lists that did not meet the quota requirement, which met opposition and criticism from various organisations.

The Supreme Electoral Tribunal ruled in 1999 that the quota law should be interpreted in the following way: lists should comprise a minimum of 40 percent of either sex, and that women should have 40 percent of electable seats ? interpreted as the number of seats the party received in the district in the previous election (Jager Contreras 2008, p 5-6; Resolution 1863 of 1999).

 

There is a new law stipulating a 50 percent quota, with strict alternation, on lists (Electoral Code, Article 2 & 52). This however, will not take effect until the 2014 elections ? until then, 40 percent is the quota (Electoral Code, 2nd Transitory Section).

Last updated 2009-11-23

Sources

  • Electoral Code (Código Electoral, Decreto legislativo N.º 8765 expediente N.º 14.268)
  • Jager Contreras, Marcela (2008), "Costa Rica - Buenas prácticas pasa la participación de mujeres en la política: más allá de las cuotas", in Del dicho al hecho: manual de buenas practicas para la participacion de mujeres en los partidos politícos latinoamericanos, Beatriz Llanos & Kristen Sample (eds.), Stockholm: International IDEA
  • Supreme Electoral Tribunal, Resolution 1863 of 23/9/1999
  • Supreme Electoral Tribunal, Resolution 2837 of 9/12/1999

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