여성과반수 기초의회의 등장과 여성정치대표성: 경상남도 고성군의회 사례분석

초록

While serving as the cornerstone of grassroots democracy, local councils in Korea have historically shown low levels of women’s political representation. However, through institutional reforms such as gender quotas and mandatory female nominations, the proportion of female council members has increased, with some councils now achieving a female majority (gender parity council). This study investigates the factors influencing the shift in women’s political representation in the Goseong County Council, the first female-majority council in Gyeongsangnam Province. The council’s transformation was driven by institutional factors such as proportional representation, gender quotas, and mandatory female nominations. Additional contributing factors include the increase in proportional representation seats (from one to two), competitive dynamics with the Democratic Party due to the relatively low seat share of the People Power Party, the existence of three- to four-member constituencies, candidate selection through primaries, the endorsement and challenges of female candidates within parties, and the challenges and triumphs of proportional representation female councilors in district elections. Female councilors in Goseong County Council have led to positive developments, such as increasing the number of female councilors and building trust in female politicians. Nonetheless, challenges remain in areas such as engagement with women’s issues, actual power acquisition within the council, and diversity in the portrayal of female councilors. Political parties can surmount these challenges by engaging actively and employing proactive strategies to augment women's political representation.

키워드