Can quotas lead to social justice?
Channel: Norwegian Institute of International Affairs, NUPI
Date: 21/06/2017

What are the long-term effects of electoral quotas? This is the topic NUPI researcher Francesca R. Jensenius has studied in her new book. At this book launch, she and Mari Teigen (ISF) will talk about some of her key findings and their relevance for discussions of political inclusion in Norway and elsewhere. 

Across the world, governments design and implement policies with the explicit goal of promoting social justice. But can such institutions change entrenched social norms? And what effects should we expect from differently designed policies?

In ‘Social Justice Through Inclusion: The Consequences of Electoral Quotas in India’ Francesca R. Jensenius presents an empirically rich study of one of the most extensive electoral quota systems in the world: the reserved seats for the Scheduled Castes (SCs) – the former “untouchables” – in India’s legislative assemblies.

Policies such as quotas are usually supported with arguments about various assumed positive long-term consequences. The discussions in this book shed light on the trade-offs inherent in how these policies are designed, and lays the groundwork for a comparative research agenda on the politics of inclusion.

In this book launch Jensenius will summarize some of the key discussions and findings in the book. In conversation with Mari Teigen (Research professor at ISF and Director for CORE – Centre for Research on Gender Equality), she will then discuss how the insights from India may be relevant for how we discuss politics of inclusion and what to expect from differently designed quota policies.

There will be served refreshments from 14.45, the event starts at 15.00.

More information and sign-up:
http://www.nupi.no/en/Events/2017/Can-quotas-lead-to-social-justice