So, why are gender quotas a necessary step? How will they be effective? Well, gender quotas will provide a quick and simple solution to the unjustifiable fact of women's under-representation, or potential under-representation, in elected politics. International research shows that they are the single most effective tool for fast-tracking women's representation in elected bodies for Government, and they are used worldwide by over 100 countries. They are backed by the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, and, of course, the findings of the expert panel on Assembly electoral reform. So, the question, really, is: why aren't we doing this already, if we believe in equality?