" I am convinced that when we have established and are working with a system based on real equality, then the quality of women's participation will be raised."

Birgitta Dahl, Speaker of Parliament, Sweden

To claim that women representatives make a difference in political processes it is necessary to establish clear criteria to measure their impact. A fundamental component of such criteria is that women parliamentarians act, at least some of the time, in women's interests. In formulating such criteria, it should also be recognized that: (1) there are many, sometimes conflicting, women's interests to be represented; and (2) that the very presence of women in a traditional male environment creates gender awareness and alters expectations.

As we have mentioned, what women can actually achieve will vary according to their numbers in parliament. Numbers are always an important, a necessary, if not sufficient criteria for sustained impact. As Dahlerup has said it takes a substantial minority of women to ensure that critical acts of representation are undertaken. As the numbers of women grow we should expect increased participation by women in all aspects of parliamentary life including interventions in debate, the proposing and sponsoring of legislation, access to parliamentary resources, and occupancy of leading positions.

One criteria for determining success is that women's impact must be detectable in legislation on women's issues; this will become more prominent and frequent as women become more and more active and effective. Furthermore, with women's growing effectiveness, all legislation will increasingly take women's perspectives into account. An especially telling indication of women's impact will be an increase in men raising women's issues and exhibiting sensitivity to women's perspectives.

An important facet of success will involve interaction between the different agents of change: governments, women MPs, women's organizations, and other members of civil society locally, regionally and internationally. It should always be remembered that partnership between women and men is a key ingredient in the process of change and impact. Many women MPs openly acknowledge that to attempt to work alone, without men, is not feasible. ¹⁷