Gender Quotas Database
Cabo Verde
Western Africa
Single / Lower House
Assembleia Nacional (National Assembly)
| Total seats | 72 |
| Total women | 28 |
| Percentage of women | 39% |
| Election year | 2021 |
| Electoral system | List PR |
| Quota type | Legislated Candidate Quotas |
| Election details | IDEA Voter Turnout - IPU Parline |
| Legal source | Details | |
|---|---|---|
| Quota type: Legislated Candidate Quotas | Electoral law |
The lists proposed for (national) elections shall contain a balanced representation of both sexes. (Article 415) 'Parity in political representation is to be understood, for the purposes of application of this law, as the minimum representation of 40% of each of the sexes in the candidacy lists for the collegiate bodies of power, namely, the National Assembly, City Council, Municipal Assembly and other supra- or sub-municipal bodies' (Article 4.1 - Parity Law) |
| Political funding legislation |
… 2. For electoral subsidies from the State, under the terms of the law, political parties or coalitions of political parties will be awarded, on whose lists at least twenty-five percent of female candidates are elected at national level. (Article 415 - Electoral Law) |
|
| Legal sanctions for non-compliance | Parity Law |
NOTIFICATION FOR CORRECTION OF LISTS: In the event that the list does not comply with the provisions of the present law, the nominee’s representative, or the person responsible for presenting the list, is notified, under the terms established in the applicable electoral law, to proceed to the correction, within the period established in referred law 7. (Article 5) EFFECTS OF NON-CORRECTION OF LISTS: The non-correction of the candidacy lists to the collegiate bodies of the political power, within the terms and deadlines provided for in the respective electoral law, determines their rejection by the Court where they have been deposited and communicated, within forty-eight hours, to the National Elections Commission. (Article 6) |
| Rank order/placement rules | Parity Law |
In order to comply with the provisions of the preceding paragraph, the first two places on the multi-nominated candidacy lists presented are occupied by candidates of different sex, and no more than two candidates of the same sex may be placed consecutively in the ranking of the remaining places on the lists. (Article 4.2) |
| Is the provision of direct public funding to political parties related to gender equality among candidates? | Yes | See more in International IDEA's Political Finance database |
| Are there provisions for other financial advantages to encourage gender equality in political parties? | No | See more in International IDEA's Political Finance database |
Quota at the Sub-National Level
| Quota type | Legislated Candidate Quotas |
| Legal source | Details | |
|---|---|---|
| Quota type: Legislated Candidate Quotas | Electoral law |
The lists proposed for (municipal) elections shall contain a balanced representation of both sexes. (Article 431) Parity in political representation is to be understood, for the purposes of application of this law, as the minimum representation of 40% of each of the sexes in the candidacy lists for the collegiate bodies of power, namely, the National Assembly, City Council, Municipal Assembly and other supra- or sub-municipal bodies. (Article 4.1 - Parity Law) |
| Political funding legislation |
... 2. For electoral subsidies from the State, under the terms of the law, political parties or coalitions of political parties will be awarded, on whose lists at least twenty-five percent of female candidates are elected at municipal level. (Article 431 - Electoral Law) |
|
| Legal sanctions for non-compliance | Parity Law |
NOTIFICATION FOR CORRECTION OF LISTS: In the event that the list does not comply with the provisions of the present law, the nominee’s representative, or the person responsible for presenting the list, is notified, under the terms established in the applicable electoral law, to proceed to the correction, within the period established in referred law 7. (Article 5) EFFECTS OF NON-CORRECTION OF LISTS: The non-correction of the candidacy lists to the collegiate bodies of the political power, within the terms and deadlines provided for in the respective electoral law, determines their rejection by the Court where they have been deposited and communicated, within forty-eight hours, to the National Elections Commission. (Article 6) |
| Rank order/placement rules | Parity Law |
In order to comply with the provisions of the preceding paragraph, the first two places on the multi-nominated candidacy lists presented are occupied by candidates of different sex, and no more than two candidates of the same sex may be placed consecutively in the ranking of the remaining places on the lists. (Article 4.2) |
Voluntary Political Party Quotas*
| Party | Official Name | Details, Quota provisions |
|---|---|---|
| No data available. | ||
* Only political parties represented in parliament are included. When a country has legislated quotas in place, only political parties that have voluntary quotas that exceed the percentage/number of the national quota legislation are presented in this table.
Additional information
In the 2016 legislative elections, women were under-represented as candidates and as leaders of parties at national level. Only 21% of candidates were women and women were the top names of only 14.6% of the lists. Only one of the six competing parties had a woman as candidate for prime minister (African Union 2016).
During the 2012 municipal elections, a woman candidate ran in five of the country’s 22 municipal councils, compared to the three women candidates in the previous (2008) municipal elections.
In 2019, a Parity law was issued stating on the minimum representation of 40% of each of the sexes in the candidacy lists for the collegiate bodies of power, namely, the National Assembly, City Council, Municipal Assembly and other supra- or sub-municipal bodies.
Sources
Legal Sources:
- Constitution of Cabo Verde - Link
- Electoral Law - Link
- Political Party Law (amended through 1999) - Link
- Parity Law - Link
Other Sources:
- Electoral Commission - Link
- Despite serious progress, Cabo Verde must still move forward, particularly in the fight against gender-based violence and prison overcrowding, underline the Experts of the Human Rights Committee (2019) - Link
- African Union (2016) Observer Mission to the Legislative Elections of 20 March 2016 in the Republic of Cabo Verde Preliminary Statement
- Voz da América Português [Voice of America, Portuguese], ‘Cabo-Verde: Cinco mulheres concorrem as eleições locais' 18 June 2012, [Cape Verde: five women compete in local elections, 18 June 2012]
- Inter-Parliamentary Union, IPU Parline Cabo Verde
Additional reading
- See the latest updates on Cabo Verde on iKNOW Politics
- Borges, A., Muriaas, R., & Wang, V. (2019). Legislated Candidate Quotas with Reward for Compliance in Cabo Verde: Victory for No One?
- Carter, K., & Aulette, J. 2009. Cape Verdean women and globalization. The Politics of Gender, Culture, and Resistance. doi:10.1057/9780230100596
- International Republican Institute [IRI]. 2016. Women’s Political Empowerment, Representation and Influence in Africa: A Pilot Study of Women’s Leadership in Political Decision-Making. Available Here.
- UN Women, African Development Bank, & Government of Cabo Verde. 2018. Cabo Verde: Country Gender Profile
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