Includes bibliographical references and index.

Introduction / Drude Dahlerup -- Arguing for and against quotas : theoretical issues / Carol Bacchi -- The Nordic countries : an incremental model / Lenita Freidenvall, Drude Dahlerup and Hege Skjeie -- Latin America : the experience and the impact of quotas in Latin America / Clara Araújo and Ana Isabel García -- Sub-Saharan Africa : on the fast track to women's political representation / Aili Tripp, Dior Konate and Colleen Lowe-Morna -- The Balkans : from total rejection to gradual acceptance of gender quotas / Milica G. Antic and Sonja Lokar -- The Arab Region : women's access to the decision-making process across the Arab Nation / Gihan Abou-Zeid with the assistance of Dina Obied -- Western Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand : gender quotas in the context of citizenship models / Mona Lena Krook, Joni Lovenduski and Judith Squires -- South Asia : gender quotas and the politics of empowerment : a comparative study / Shirin M. Rai, Farzana Bari, Nazmunnessa Mahtab and Bidyut Mohanty -- Gender quotas in post-conflict states : East Timor, Afghanistan and Iraq / Julie Ballington and Drude Dahlerup -- Indonesia : the struggle for gender quotas in the world's largest Muslim country / Cecilia Bylesjö and Francisia SSE Seda -- Affirmative action at the IPU / Kareen Jabre -- Electoral quotas : frequency and effectiveness / Richard E. Matland -- Conclusion / Drude Dahlerup.