IB2014/17 Women's Representation and the Question of Temporary Special Measures in Tuvalu

The Pacific region is (in)famous for its low numbers of female members of parliament (MPs) (Baker 2014). In response, policymakers and academics are increasingly asking whether temporary special measures (TSM) could alter this trend, if they are appropriate, and what form they should take. Since ratifying the international Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women in 1999, Tuvalu is one of a growing number of countries considering TSM as a way to boost the representation of women in parliament. In this In Brief we canvas some of the options being contemplated and consider how a process of institutional reform might take place.