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Women’s political participation has increased globally over the course of the 21st century. However, this positive development is less reflected in countries in development, as women continue to rely heavily on affirmative measures such as gender quotas to enter politics. The lack of women’s political participation disrupts human rights and undermines democracy. This study aims to provide a comparative analysis of gender quota regimens on women’s political participation in the six Western Balkans countries: Albania, Bosnia and Hercegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia. Qualitative research case study methods were used to analyze the policies on the implementation of gender quotas. The findings show that (i) six countries subject to this study have legislated gender quotas for women’s political representation, requiring 30-40% women’s representation in electoral lists (ii) the implementation of gender quotas has ensured positive women’s numerical representation in legislated bodies and (iii) the quotas have been less effective in achieving substantial representation of women in positions of power, as the political leadership continues to favor male candidates for decision-making. This study has important implications. It shows that gender quotas can be an effective mechanism to ensure that women are numerically represented in politics, especially in countries where men traditionally have dominated the political sphere such as in the Western Balkans. This study also underscores the potential of gender quotas as a powerful tool for augmenting women's representation in pivotal decision-making roles.
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