La paradoja de la paridad: representación política de las mujeres y erosión de la democracia en América Latina (1990-2024)

Latin America has significantly expanded women’s political representation through quota and parity reforms while experiencing a concurrent wave of democratic erosion. This article examines that paradox by engaging with Anne Phillips’ and Jane Mansbridge’s theories of descriptive and substantive representation, as well as feminist critiques by Karen Celis and Mona Lena Krook regarding symbolic co-optation. Using a panel of 18 countries (1990–2024) and drawing on the V-Dem democracy indices and the IFREG measure of gender electoral regime strength, the analysis shows that women’s legislative presence exerts no direct effect on electoral democracy—echoing institutionalist arguments that highlight contextual dependence. Positive effects arise only under robust rule-of-law conditions, consistent with Leslie Schwindt-Bayer’s emphasis on horizontal accountability. During the period of heightened regional backsliding, increases in women’s representation correlate negatively with democratic quality, aligning with Elin Bjarnegård and Pär Zetterberg’s concept of autocratic genderwashing. The study thus reframes the relationship between inclusion, power, and democratic resilience.