On Friday, June 2, the stars aligned to produce good news, but the main one, the one that could mean a quantum leap for a system of political parties in the deepest abyss, was the sentence of the Electoral Disputes Tribunal giving way to the full application of equality norms of genders which determine that both presidential binomials and candidacies on the lists of members of the assembly representing political organizations must include at least 50% of women.

An extraordinary triumph of women’s organizations, with Mega Mujeres and the Violeta Sí coalition in the front line, in a scenario where the National Electoral Council acted under the influence of the parties to spare the full validity of the rules for these early and express elections.

The State Electoral Council must implement gender equality in presidential and legislative candidacies in 2023.

But triumphs must be celebrated 24 hours a day, in order to re-establish ourselves in the here and now. And this means that the problems of our politics may remain intact, if the equal participation of women does not mean overcoming the deep corruption that surrounds the political party system and helps us overcome the old beliefs that burden our existence as a society.

The first thing is to recognize that parity in itself does not mean that the cadres presented by the parties in the civic elections will be significantly improved. Just look at what happened to the defunct assembly in 2021-2023. and you see the extremely poor level of many members of the assembly who led even such important political processes as the impeachment of President Guillermo Lasso. As feminist activists told me in a recent conversation: women’s participation in politics cannot materialize from subservience to the alpha male of the party or the leader who owns the political movement.

Because it is necessary to analyze some of the main obstacles that women face, so that women’s participation is not just a number, but implies a profound change.

Because this is the first thing: there is a cultural factor rooted in gender stereotypes that limit women’s participation in politics. The idea that political spaces are exclusively male has historically been perpetuated, discouraging women from entering and running for public office. Politics has traditionally been considered a male territory, and breaking with that conception implies questioning the power structure that has privileged men throughout history.

Likewise, gender-based political violence is another significant obstacle that Ecuadorian and Latin American women face in their path to political participation. Women who dare to enter politics are often exposed to attacks and threats, both physical and verbal. These acts of violence tend to intimidate and silence women, creating a hostile environment that makes it difficult for them to participate freely and actively in political life.

In addition, economic inequalities represent another important obstacle to the equal participation of women in politics. In many cases, women face difficulties in accessing the economic resources and financing needed to run a successful election campaign. Lack of financial support limits their chances to compete on equal terms with men, which further perpetuates the gender gap in politics.

On the other hand, the lack of representation of women in political parties is a fundamental obstacle. The absence of female leaders in party structures implies a lack of support and opportunities for women who want to enter politics. The lack of space for mentoring makes it difficult for women to access and stay in political life.

In short, gender quotas and other affirmative measures are necessary to guarantee the inclusion of women on candidate lists, but their effective implementation is hampered by political, cultural and social resistance. (OR)