Guatemala

Congress of the Republic

Political system: Presidential system
Structure of parliament: Unicameral
IPU membership: Yes

Historical data on women

Data on women’s right to vote and to stand for election, the date at which the first woman entered parliament, and female Heads of State or Government

Women's suffrage

Notes: No information available
Year of first woman in parliament: 1954

Notes: 1954: Congress was dissolved following a military coup d'Etat in 1954.The next woman to be elected to Parliament was on 1 March 1956 by the drawing of lots.
Year of first woman speaker: 1991

Women’s right to vote

Women’s right to vote: 1946
National or local: National
Restricted or universal suffrage: Restricted

Women’s right to vote: 1985
National or local: National
Restricted or universal suffrage: Universal

Notes: The Constitution of 1985 extended the right to vote to all citizens and established equality between the sexes.

Women’s right to stand for election

Women's right to stand for election: 1946
National or local: National
Restricted or universal: Restricted
Detail of restrictions: Women must be literate in order to stand for election

Women's right to stand for election: 1965
National or local: National
Restricted or universal: Universal

Notes: According to the Electoral Law of 1946, suffrage was optional and secret for women, but obligatory for men. The 1956 Constitution made the vote obligatory for all literate women but maintained discrimination against illiterate women in that they could not stand for election. The 1965 Constitution extended the right to be elected to all citizens, yet the vote was still not compulsory for illiterate women.