What is electoral parity?

Electoral parity is the balanced presence of women and men in the field of political representation.

The Organic Law on the General Electoral System, in the article 44.bis, requires the balanced composition of electoral lists presented in elections to the Congress of Deputies, local elections, Island Councils, Canary Island Councils, the European Parliament and the Legislative Assemblies of the Autonomous Regions.

This balanced composition of women and men implies the following:

There must not be less than forty per cent representation of each sex on the list for the European Parliament elections as a whole. When the number of positions to be filled is less than five, the ratio of women to men will be as close as possible to a numerical balance