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39 Second, I use pooled Time-Series Cross-Sectional (TSCS) analyses along with panel-corrected standard errors. This technique is especially useful because my data is available only for a short time (two decades or three) for the 18 Latin American countries. Also, TSCS analyses gives me the possibility of capturing variation of time and space simultaneously (Fortin-Rittberger 2014).
In this research, I employ two different series of models. First, I use one set of models that considers the variables’ independent effect. Regarding the second series of models, I incorporate all the variables, including the interaction term of gender quota laws and the egalitarianism of political institutions. Because there are two time-invariant variables in my models, which are closed-list system and religiosity, it will be inappropriate to estimate country fixed-effect models.
3.2 Case of Study: The Dominican Republic
Following the statistical analysis, I proceed with a qualitative case study about the political representation of women in the lower chamber of the Dominican Republic after the adoption of a quota law in 1997. I examine the historical background of feminism in the Dominican Republic, how the gender quota law was implemented, and the
effectiveness of this mechanism in its goal of increasing female political representation.
In addition, I would like to explore the challenges that the Dominican Republic faces in increasing the political representation of women in the lower chamber.
The Dominican Republic was one of the pioneering countries in Latin America to adopt a system of gender quotas in 1997. However, it has lagged behind in terms of gender parity. At present, women represent 26.8% of the lower house. The countries that implemented the gender quota more than a decade after the Dominican Republic, such as Costa Rica (2009) and Nicaragua (2013), have achieved greater participation of women in the parliament: 45.6% and 41.3% respectively. This shows that it is necessary to explore what factors have affected the efforts of the Dominican Republic to increase the
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40 political participation of the country. Therefore, I think that the Dominican Republic is an interesting case of study of the region.
Previously, qualitative and quantitative studies have been conducted that have contributed a series of data referring to aspects of women’s participation in politics and the effectiveness of gender quota laws in the Dominican Republic. However, these research works are outdated (Aquino 2004; Duarte 2002; Hasbún and Arvelo Tejada 2002). Other more recent research on the gender quota in the Dominican Republic, do not analyze the feminist movements that led to the law of gender in the country, it only focuses on the results of the 2010 elections (Participación Ciudadana 2010).
In some previous literature, the historical background of women’s political
representation is analyzed (Candelario 2005; Mayes 2008). However, they focus mainly on the feminist movements in the Trujillo dictatorship, but there is not much about the feminist movements before and after the dictatorship. In addition, these research papers mention the law of gender quotas but do not analyze their effectiveness in depth.
Therefore, there is a gap in the gender quota studies literature of the Dominican Republic, which my work can fill to complement the previous research.
For this case study on the political representation of women in the Dominican
Republic, I employed the process-tracing method. The goal of the process-tracing method is to extract descriptive and causal inferences from the sequential historical process through the critical examination of qualitative materials in order to validate the causal mechanism that a theory poses (Beach and Pedersen 2013; Collier 2011). Process-tracing requires the collection of large amounts of qualitative data from a wide range of sources, including expert surveys, interviews, historical memories, press reports, and documents (Checkel 2008; George and Bennett 2005). In summary, process-tracing is a method commonly used in political science to study the causal mechanisms associating causes with outcomes.
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41 I utilize the process-tracing to discuss the dynamics of the political representation of Dominican women in different historical periods of the country. By doing this, I can illustrate the causal mechanism of my theory. In addition, the process-tracing provides a better understanding of women’s political representation in the Dominican Republic that goes beyond the large N analyzes. Specifically, I examine the mechanism by which the participation of women in political movements and the creation of feminist organizations lead to the implementation of the gender quota law in the country in 1997. Moreover, previous research in the field of political science shows that interviews are very relevant to the follow-up of case study research (Tansey 2007). Therefore, in addition to
collecting data from press reports, historical narratives, and other documents, I interviewed two experts in electoral processes and gender studies.
Below, Table 3 shows the details of the interviews and the information about the two experts. I conducted the interviews through video call on May 29th, 2019. Both
interviewees agreed that their information can be shown in this research work.
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Table 3: Profile of the Interviewees.
6 Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo (Autonomous University of Santo Domingo).
7 Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo (Technological Institute of Santo Domingo).
8 Universidad Católica Santo Domingo (Catholic University of Santo Domingo).
9 El Centro de Solidaridad para el Desarrollo de la Mujer (The Solidarity Center for the Development of Women).
10 The Feminist Forum is a political space of activism that seeks to subvert the structural and cultural bases of patriarchy, contributing to the eradication of machismo and all forms of authoritarianism, subordination, and discrimination that prevail in Dominican society.
Interviewee M/F Organization Position Background
Josefina
Arvelo Tejada F Participación
Ciudadana Chief Coordinator
Sociologist graduated from the UASD6 university, specializing in research methodology at the UASD, master's degree in Gender and Development at INTEC7 university, Diploma in Electoral Administration at the UCSD8 university. She held the position of Head of the Political Electoral Program for the Participación Ciudadana organization, Founder and Executive Director of CE-MUJER9, President of the Board of Directors, as well as Head of the Social Planning Unit of the Instituto Agrario Dominicano (Dominican Agrarian Institute), and the founder of the Feminist Forum10.
Zobeyda
Apólito F Participación
Ciudadana
Volunteer Organization
Manager
Graduated from the Master of Gender and Development at INTEC University. She has held the positions of Head of the Electoral Observation Program and Cooperator of the Regional Justice and Citizen Security Network in the Participación Ciudadana
organization. She is the coordinator of the Unión Democrática de Mujeres (UDEMU, Democratic Union of Women) and a member of the Feminist Forum.
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43