Parliaments & Representatives

Parliaments & Representatives

Parliaments & Representatives

Women make up only 23.5% of Members of Parliament according to the latest available data of the Inter-Parliamentary Union. While significant strides in women’s political participation have been made since the adoption of the Beijing Platform for Action in 1995, which set Member States’ target of achieving gender balance in political decision-making, women are still underrepresented in political decision-making at all levels and gender balance remains an aspirational goal.  Gains in women’s participation have been notable in countries that have taken proactive steps to support women’s political participation, including reforming or amending discriminatory laws, taking concrete action to address violence against women in politics and gender discrimination within parliaments, addressing gender-specific barriers, and supporting women in all forms of decision-making including at local level and in executive government.

News

25.07.2023
Nigeria: FG flays low participation of women in governance
The Federal Government has stated that the low participation of women in governance and leadership position, particularly in politics, which has recorded far below 50 per cent is unacceptable, adding...
24.07.2023
Alliance for Women in Media charges journalists take lead role in closing gender...
The convener of the Alliance for Women in Media Africa has called on the media to work at improving coverage of women in politics.Shamima Muslim stressed that the media needed to understand the...
20.07.2023
Women make up a majority of Dutch Cabinet members for first time ever
Once VVD parliamentarian Marielle Paul is sworn in as Minister for Primary and Secondary Education, the Dutch Cabinet will consist of more women than men for the first time ever. The caretaker Rutte...
20.07.2023
Women’s political inclusion vital for stable democracy, proactive Parliament : N...
National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervez Ashraf on Wednesday said no society could develop without inclusion and active participation of women in all spheres of life.The political inclusion of women was...
19.07.2023
Victorian local government review prompts concerns about female representation
Aspiring female politicians in Victoria are worried an overhaul of local government ward structures will block their chances of election.Councillors in Victoria are currently elected to un-subdivided...
17.07.2023
Appointments: association advocates more women in public offices
The Association of Corporate Governance Professionals of Nigeria (ACGPN) has appealed to President Bola Tinubu and state governors to ensure increased women representation into public offices in...
14.07.2023
Women who serve in political office are pushing for more women to get involved
A town hall Tuesday night featuring women in politics had a clear message: More women need to get involved from running for elective office to helping candidates get elected.“We know women are...
14.07.2023
Economic woes driving women from politics: WAG
WOMEN Action Group (WAG) says economic challenges and cyberbullying are deterring women from actively participating in political and electoral processes.Speaking during WAG’s 40th anniversary...
14.07.2023
First female political prisoner in Saied's Tunisia, Chaima Issa, is free
Chaima Isaa, the first female political prisoner in Saied's Tunisia, was finally liberated after spending more than five months in jail but expressed concern about fellow activists still behind bars....

iKNOW Politics Partners Resources

UNDP
Egypt hosts dialogue to boost women’s political participation
UN Women
Online harassment risks pushing Kenyan women out of politics
UN Women
Women’s representation in politics extremely poor – Vilita Bashir
UN Women
UN Women supports political participation of women framework

Related Websites

UN Women's Global Gender Equality Constitutional Database
City 50-50 Platform encourages gender parity in power spheres in Brazil
Violence against Women in Politics
E-learning Portal for Parliaments
Women’s Caucus Fact Sheet