Equality is necessary for a representative democracy. Democracy could not function if some people (with good ideas and commitment to their community) were excluded from being representatives, and others (with bad ideas and little commitment) were given special privileges to lead.

Also, in a democracy, each adult citizen must have one vote and each vote must have one value. This right should only be limited for a very good reason, such as if someone has a serious mental illness that prevents them from making decisions.

If some citizens are given less chance to choose their representatives, then those representatives will not reflect the whole community.

We cannot say that these cases are examples of “the rule of the people”, because many of “the people” are excluded from decisions about how the community should be ruled.

In a democracy, everyone has the same rights to take part in the decisions that affect them. In a society where people are not equal, some people might be excluded from participating, and this is very bad for democracy.

Citizens must not be discriminated against because of their race, religion, ethnic group, gender or sexual orientation. If some groups are excluded or marginalized, this goes against the democratic value of equality. This can lead to a lack of participation and even violent conflict.

Quotas in Timor Leste

A debate on the introduction of quotas for women took place in Timor-Leste during the period of the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) between October 1999 and April 2001 (Ballington and Dahlerup 2006: 251–52). During this period, Rede Feto Timor Leste (a network of 16 women’s organizations) proposed that a mandatory quota be stipulated in the electoral regulation, relying on the Beijing Platform of Action and the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). At least 30 per cent of women candidates were to be proposed in the political party lists and placed in winnable positions, with every third candidate listed from the top being a woman. However, in 2001 the National Council rejected quotas. Article 12. 3 of the electoral law was eventually adopted in 2006, providing that one out of every four candidates on electoral lists must be a woman. This quota was revised in 2011 to provide for an improved rule that includes a woman in every three candidates on candidate lists.

Source: http://www.quotaproject.org/uid/countryview.cfm?CountryCode=TL