Full Title: (Re)Making Political Subjects: Interrogating Gender Quotas and Women's Representation in Electoral Politics in Post-War Angola

This talk examines how women in post-war Angola participate and are represented in electoral politics. Starting from the premise that the very idea of democratic politics is gendered, I argue that examining electoral politics, in particular the organization of political parties, campaigns and elections financing, from feminist and sociological perspectives can help explain the (limited) participation of women in national politics. I focus primarily on the adoption of gender quota system to interrogate the paradox of reserving special seats for women. I argue that while gender quotas increase the representation of women in parliamentary politics, the male-oriented and male-dominated sphere of national politics stymie the full participation of women. The objective of this talk is to better understand the gendered nature of politics, particularly the different ways that Angolan women constitute themselves as political subjects.