In between letter and practice

Male dominance remains commonplace in institutional settings, including the political arena. In order to challenge the status quo, gender quotas have been applied in various parts of the world to increase the descriptive – or numerical - representation of women in decision-making bodies. In Senegal, a Parity Law was implemented in 2010, allowing women to enter parliament at a tremendous rate. Through a mixed-method, this case study investigates the extent of the gap between the law and the practice in the Senegalese National Assembly. Empirical data was collected during fieldwork in the Senegalese capital, Dakar. Political actors and members of the civil society have been interviewed, and data on sessions held in the hemicycle compiled. The study suggests the implication of informal institutions that influence the intended outcomes of the law, namely: absolute parity, equal participation in the political life, and equal access to mandates and functions between men and women. The findings disclose discrepancies between the aspiration of symmetrical gender relations that the law intends to enhance and the actual dynamics unfolding in parliament. Gender roles, strategical mechanisms, and distributional struggles have been identified as prevalent factors affecting the Parity Law’s expected outcomes