Chile: Women’s Suffrage and Political Participation, 1935–2015

This chapter outlines the “Chilean route” to women’s suffrage and women´s integration to the decision-making system. The authors show that Chile introduced women’s suffrage through two legislative steps, extending suffrage municipally in 1934 and nationally in 1949. The authors argue that it was in the elite’s electoral interest to do so because it allowed them to observe whether women’s participation would change the correlation of political forces. The chapter also demonstrates the gradual nature of women’s electoral inclusion. While they had always been a demographic majority, they were not a majority of voters until 1989. Finally, the authors look at women’s representation as candidates and elected officials, finding that women’s inclusion remains very far from complete.