Women In Politics with Tableau

📊 Gender Quotas in Parliament: A Tableau Exploration of Global Impact

As part of my data analytics portfolio, I used Tableau to investigate a powerful question:

Do gender quotas actually work? 

Drawing on data from the Inter-Parliamentary Union, I conducted exploratory analysis comparing countries with and without legislated quotas to understand their impact on female representation in national parliaments.

🔍 What I Did:

• Exploratory Analysis in Tableau: No Python required—I used Tableau to clean, segment, and visualize quota data across regions.

• Key Metrics Tracked:

  • % of seats held by women

  • Presence and type of quota (legislated, voluntary, none)

  • Regional comparisons and standout performers

🌍 What I Found:

• Western Europe, especially the Nordic countries, along with Australia and New Zealand, lead in female representation without legislated quotas—suggesting strong cultural and institutional support.

• In contrast, Africa, Asia, and the Pacific show that quotas are highly effective, often serving as a catalyst for progress in regions with historical underrepresentation.

• In Australia, the Labor Party’s internal quota system, introduced in the 1990s, has been instrumental in driving near gender parity—highlighting the power of party-level initiatives even in non-legislated environments.

🎯 Why It Matters:

This project showcased my ability to:

• Use Tableau for insightful, policy-relevant analysis

• Translate global data into clear, comparative narratives

• Highlight regional nuance and political context—skills that are vital in real-world analytics roles

It’s now a cornerstone of my portfolio, demonstrating not just technical proficiency, but also my ability to apply data to complex social questions with empathy and precision.

✅ Key Recommendations from the Quota Analysis

Based on my Tableau exploration of global gender quotas in parliament, I identified several actionable insights:

1. Quotas Are Highly Effective in Emerging Democracies

• Legislated quotas have a transformational impact in regions like Africa, Asia, and the Pacific.

• Recommendation: Support quota legislation in countries with low baseline representation to accelerate progress.

2. Cultural and Institutional Support Can Rival Quotas

• Nordic countries, Australia, and New Zealand achieve high female representation without national quotas.

• Recommendation: Invest in leadership development, party culture reform, and public accountability to sustain parity without mandates.

3. Party-Level Quotas Drive Real Change

• In Australia, the Labor Party’s internal quota system, introduced in the 1990s, has been pivotal in achieving near gender parity.

• Recommendation: Encourage voluntary quotas within political parties, especially in countries where national legislation is unlikely.

4. Quota Type and Enforcement Matter

• Voluntary quotas show mixed results depending on enforcement and transparency.

• Recommendation: Ensure clear targets, timelines, and monitoring mechanisms for any quota system to be effective.

5. Benchmarking and Self-Assessment Tools Are Underused

• The Inter-Parliamentary Union’s Gender Sensitivity Self-Assessment offers a valuable framework.

• Recommendation: Promote regular self-assessments and publish results to foster accountability and cross-country learning.