Neither decentralization nor compulsory voting: Women’s political representation in Chile’s regional governments
Abstract
This study examines women’s representation in Chile’s regional governments during the 2021 and 2024 elections. Although the share of women candidates rose slightly after the introduction of direct elections for regional authorities and compulsory voting, no woman was elected in 2024. The findings show that, without binding parity rules to ensure a balanced slate of candidates, decentralization simply reproduces party and territorial barriers that limit women’s access to subnational power.
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