Quote di genere e selezione delle candidature. Un’analisi delle elezioni comunali 2020 in Provincia di Trento.

GENDER QUOTAS AND THE SELECTION OF LOCAL POLITICIANS. AN ANALYSIS OF THE 2020 MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS IN THE PROVINCE OF TRENTO. Women are underrepresented in most elected and appointed positions in local government in Italy. The municipal elections held in September 2020 also confirmed this trend in the province of Trento. Despite the fact that regional electoral rules prescribe instruments for a more gender balanced composition of municipal bodies, the province of Trento shows slow but limited progress. In contrast, in other Regions where a more stringent national legislation for equal representation is in force, female representation increased quickly due to the adoption of multiple anti-discriminatory measures (such as candidate quotas, rules concerning the rank order, and double gender preferences). The article discusses the differences between small and large municipalities in promoting female representation and the crucial role of political parties in implementing gender quotas.