Resumo

FIGUEROA BELLO, Aída. Balanced Participation of Women and Men in Decision-Making in the European Union: Myth or Reality. Bol. Mex. Der. Comp. [online]. 2010, vol.43, n.129, pp.1107-1146. ISSN 2448-4873.

Historically women were not or, at best, only marginally represented in politics and its institutions. Even within the European Union, considered to be the most advanced organization in questions of parity democracy, elements of female underrepresentation are still prevailing in political decision-making. Just a small amount of responsibilities like social policy or cultural aspects are typically female-dominated. At the normative level, European Union legal instruments establish principles of parity democracy: Nevertheless, these instruments are not mandatory and can just be considered as European soft law. Despite those facts, the Scandinavian countries have established a more effective and balanced participation of women and men in the core centers of their political decision-making process.

Palavras-chave : European Union; democratic equality; political participation and representation; soft law; European institutions.