Commentary on the judging of the Supreme Court of Justice on quotas and gender parity in the elections in Panama Comentario a los fallos de la Corte Suprema de Justicia sobre cuotas y paridad de género en las elecciones en Panamá

Abstract

The political participation in its simplest meaning is any individual or collective action that seeks to influence public affairs; and it is fundamental for the functioning of any political system. In democratic systems, participation is of diverse nature and is developed in various areas such as electoral, community, and civil society, through its different mechanisms and institutions.

In the electoral sphere, such participation entails distinguishing between two types of participation: the first through voting, to elect the authorities that represent us and the second, as part of the electoral offer of candidates for the different popularly elected positions.

Furthermore, it is important to noicie that in a democracy there are conditions that allow such participation; among them: equity, equality, and inclusion of all groups in the society.

This work has as its objective to comment on the jurisprudence on gender quotas and political parity in Panama, through brief comments on the judgments issued by the Supreme Court of Justice, regarding the lawsuits of unconstitutionality regarding the electoral normative that promotes equal and democratic participation between men and women.