The 30 Per Cent Female Candidate Quota Obligation Strengthens Affirmative Political Action

JAKARTA — Constitutional law expert Andina Elok Puri Maharani from Sebelas Maret University views the Constitutional Court’s decision imposing sanctions on political parties failing to meet the 30 per cent female candidate quota as a progressive step in strengthening women’s political affirmative action.

“The spirit of inclusive democracy is evident in the Constitutional Court decision. This ruling represents a progressive and crucial step in strengthening women’s political affirmative action,” Maharani stated on Tuesday, 2 June 2026.

According to Maharani, the women’s quota rule in legislative candidacies has previously been suboptimal due to the lack of strong legal consequences. With the Constitutional Court decision, the women’s quota provision now becomes a binding requirement for political parties.

However, Maharani questioned political parties’ readiness to implement the ruling. She assessed that meeting the women’s quota requires a lengthy process, from cadre development to candidacy.

“The question is whether political parties are prepared to implement the Constitutional Court decision. This 30 per cent quota requires extensive preparation, from cadre development through to candidacy,” she noted.

She highlighted the continuing lack of legal and political system support for women to secure parliamentary seats.

“Meanwhile, the existing laws and systems have yet to provide sufficient support for women to be elected to parliament,” Maharani continued.

Nevertheless, she stressed that several aspects require attention to ensure effective implementation. From a legal perspective, the 30 per cent women’s quota must now be understood as a mandatory obligation, not merely administrative formality.

“First, from a legal perspective, the 30 per cent quota is now mandatory, not just administrative formality. Therefore, election organisers and law enforcers must interpret and enforce this seriously and consistently,” she said.

From a political perspective, political parties must strengthen women’s cadre development systems through internal party regulations.

Maharani expressed hope that the Constitutional Court decision will not only increase the number of women in parliament but also produce quality female politicians.

“The hope is that this Constitutional Court decision will not only result in more women active in parliament but also women possessing adequate political competence,” she said.