Despite having one of the highest Human Development Indices among Latin American countries, Chile has one of the lowest percentages of women's representation in national government and it is one of the last countries to enact a gender quota law in the region. After the adoption of the gender quota law in 2015, social scientists and experts started to analyze the effectiveness of the law in increasing the number of women in politics. According to the new law, 40% of candidates on party ballots are required to be women and there must be enforcement mechanisms for the quota, such as economic incentives and retributions, to ensure an effective process of increasing women's political representation.
This report analyzes the gender quota law in Chile, including its adoption process, the role of the main actors, and the enforcement process. It equally analyzes the strengths of the gender quota law in Chile and the challenges faced by Chilean society in the implementation process.