Schlüsselwörter: Liechtenstein, Landtagswahlen, Frauenanteil, Wahlchancen, Frauen in der Politik, Chancengleichheit.
The parliamentary elections of 3 February 2013 resulted in a reduction of women’s share of parliament seats in Liechtenstein from 24 to 20 percent. The analysis of official election data, representative post-election and other surveys, as well as media analysis show a differentiated picture of the chance of women to become elected. Women are still disadvantaged in politics even though the probability to be elected is getting closer to that of men. Despite increasing professional degrees women are also underrepresented in high positions in economy and society. This leads to a dominant exposure of men in media and public awareness – a vicious circle. However, the interest of women in politics is quite high in Liechtenstein and contrasts with their underrepresentation at candidatures as well as in political institutions. Not least, this is influenced by women’s reservation with respect to the structure and the communication mechanisms of institutionalized politics. Since none of the past measures and efforts have resulted in an equal representation of women in politics, the question arises whether this target should be abandoned, self-complying or mandatory quotas should be introduced, or other effective strategies of all involved actors should be developed in order to correct this.
Keywords: Liechtenstein, parliamentary elections, share of women, women in politics, equal opportunities.