Good practice

Quota Eleitoral Alternada de Timor-Leste — Uma Mulher por Cada Três Candidatos

Timor-Leste · Dili · See the Timor-Leste profile

A quota alternada obrigatória (uma mulher por cada três candidatos) elevou a representação feminina no Parlamento Nacional de menos de 20% (antes de 2006) para 40% nas eleições de junho de 2023 — o dobro da média da Ásia-Pacífico —, documentado pelo IPU Parline, IFES e IWDA.

<20% → 40%

Mulheres no parlamento (pre-2006 to 2023)

Quota Eleitoral Alternada de Timor-Leste — Uma Mulher por Cada Três Candidatos

Details

Maturity: Established
Promoter: STAE – Secretariado Técnico de Administração Eleitoral
Period: 2006–present
Keywords: government, electoral, political participation

Context

A lei eleitoral de Timor-Leste (6/2006, alterada em 2011) exige pelo menos uma mulher em cada três candidatos nas listas dos partidos, sendo rejeitadas as listas que não cumpram este requisito.

Results

A quota de mulheres no parlamento subiu de menos de 20% antes de 2006 para 40% nas eleições de junho de 2023 — o dobro da média da Ásia-Pacífico — conforme documentado pela IPU Parline, pela IFES e pela IWDA.

Implementation

Implementation detail (cost, timeline, staffing, conditions for success) is not yet available for this practice.

Data sources

Where this practice's information was retrieved from, and when.

C-NAPSE web research — accessed 2026-06-23
STAE – Secretariado Técnico de Administração Eleitoral — accessed 2026-06-23
IWDA analysis (2016) — accessed 2026-06-23
IPU Parline – Timor-Leste data on women — accessed 2026-06-23
IFES 2023 election snapshot — accessed 2026-06-23
UN Women Data Hub – Timor-Leste — accessed 2026-06-23

Attachments

Source image

Quality score: 96/100

How is this calculated?

Evidence: Observational / pre–post

Top 4% in this catalogue (719 scored practices)

Scores cluster high, so position within the catalogue is often more telling than the number alone.

Evaluation

Evaluated by C-NAPSE

Score profile — the dimensions behind the score — how it's computed

Transferability / replicability2/3

The zipper design has been actively discussed as a model for Pacific island states and adopted with variations in several countries, but full formal replication is still limited.

Impact on gender equality1/1

IPU Parline documents a rise from under 20% to 40% women MPs over three election cycles directly attributable to the quota.

Effectiveness1/1

The quota reliably achieves its 33% minimum floor, with actual outcomes exceeding it (38–40%) in every election since 2007.

Efficiency1/1

A legislative mandate requiring list composition is low-cost and high-yield relative to the scale of representation change achieved.

Evaluated outcomes1/1

Results are tracked by IPU Parline, IFES, IWDA, and UN Women Data Hub — multiple independent, credible databases.

Sustainability1/1

The quota is embedded in statute; it has survived three governments and two constitutional review cycles without removal.

Achievement / evidence1/1

The 33% minimum target has been exceeded in every election; 40% in 2023 represents sustained overperformance.

Gender-mainstreaming embedding1/1

The quota is integrated into the electoral system itself, making gender balance a precondition for list validity rather than an aspiration.

Curator validation1/1

Verified against IPU Parline, IFES 2023 election snapshot, IWDA analysis, and UN Women Timor-Leste data hub.

Cite this

Evidoria. Quota Eleitoral Alternada de Timor-Leste — Uma Mulher por Cada Três Candidatos. Persistent ID: 33e96cb5-3c72-483d-87fb-193cf09ea66e.

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