Abstract

The ultimate factor which determines the election offemale MP's in the 7 Belgian elections of 1999 is the position which women are granted on the list ofcandidates of a political party. 74% of the women won their seat through a "favourable place" on the list. The floating of votes and hence of seats between parties are accountable for 23% of the directly elected women. Only in the case were women are great vote- attractors they can swift the useful order of the list: however their number is extremely limited, only 3%. The succession where effective candidates are being replaced accounts for 15% of the final amount of female MP's. As important is the combination of double mandates and cooptation.