ABSTRACT
The involvement of women in the Spanish political system since the restoration of democracy can be discussed from at least two perspectives. First, one can analyse the extent to which female voters have participated in elections, and which parties their votes have tended to favour. Second, a separate but related issue is the extent to which specifically women’s issues have been taken on board by the political system. Clearly, the two perspectives may be related in as much as a high representation of women in the political system may result in feminine issues being more readily absorbed by the legislative process, but this is not necessarily the case. In this chapter we intend to examine both the participation of women in Spanish politics and the progress made in recognizing the broader rights of women in Spanish society.
