적극적 조치로서 여성정치할당제(political gender quotas)는 초기부터 다양한 관점에서 한계와 비판이 지적되어 왔지만, 남성 중심적 정치를 해체하고 여성의 참여를 확대하는 유용한 제도적 도구로 여러 나라에서 널리 법제화되었다. 한국의 경우 1995년 북경 제4차 세계여성회의 이후 법적 할당제 도입이 적극적으로 주창되기 시작해 2000년 「정당법」상에 비례대표 30% 여성 추천 권고 규정이 처음으로 명시되었다. 이후 매 선거시기를 전후로 제도개선 논의가 시도되면서 「공직선거법」에 국회의원 선거 및 지방의원선거 여성정치할당제 관련 조항이 제도화되어 현재에 이르고 있다.
이 글은 여성정치할당제 제도화 20년과 북경행동강령(Beijing Platform for Action: BPfA)＋25주년을 앞두고 있는 시점에, 한국 여성정치할당제 20년의 궤적과 특징적 양상을 시론적으로 진단하고, ‘페미니즘의 대중화’라는 새로운 흐름과 맞물려 한국 사회가 여성정치대표성 제고와 함께 젠더정의에 입각한 성숙한 민주주의로 나아가기 위한 길을 더듬어 보고자 한다.
The expansion of women’s political representation is a goal that feminism has pursued since the mid-1990s through the gendering of democracy. Out of the fact that the number of seats for women in the parliament is the preemptive condition above all things, however, it seems that the quantitative increase in the number of women politicians is very significant. The legal gender quota system is one of the fast-tracks designed to rapidly raise the number of female lawmakers in the political arena. South Korea adopted a gender quota system ahead of the general elections for the 16th National Assembly in 2000, following the global trend. In the gender quota system applied to South Korea’s legislature, a certain proportion of all candidacies should be allocated to women, which is the reason why a political party is a decisive parameter. But in fact, only a few parties complied with the proportions required by the gender quota system. This study analyzes the institutional effectiveness and limitations surrounding the political gender quota system in Korea, and discusses a new direction, as well as the challenges inherent in this gender quota system. And, it briefly sketches perspectives which go beyond the methods currently used for the expansion of women’s political representation. Now, it is time to change the way we think, and to figure out how to build a new alternative based on gender justice.
The expansion of women’s political representation is a goal that feminism has pursued since the mid-1990s through the gendering of democracy. Out of the fact that the number of seats for women in the parliament is the preemptive condition above all things, however, it seems that the quantitative increase in the number of women politicians is very significant. The legal gender quota system is one of the fast-tracks designed to rapidly raise the number of female lawmakers in the political arena. South Korea adopted a gender quota system ahead of the general elections for the 16th National Assembly in 2000, following the global trend. In the gender quota system applied to South Korea’s legislature, a certain proportion of all candidacies should be allocated to women, which is the reason why a political party is a decisive parameter. But in fact, only a few parties complied with the proportions required by the gender quota system. This study analyzes the institutional effectiveness and limitations surrounding the political gender quota system in Korea, and discusses a new direction, as well as the challenges inherent in this gender quota system. And, it briefly sketches perspectives which go beyond the methods currently used for the expansion of women’s political representation. Now, it is time to change the way we think, and to figure out how to build a new alternative based on gender justice.
