11th Empowerment Briefing for Young Parliamentarians- Young women’s political participation

Women’s equal participation and leadership in political and public life are essential to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. However, data shows the underrepresentation of women at all levels of decision-making worldwide. As of 1 June 2024, only 26.9% of members of parliament globally are women, showing minimal progress from recent years. Similarly, young people's representation in parliaments remains disproportionately low; globally only 2.8% of members of parliament are under 30, and 18.8% are under 40. Of all women members of parliament and young members of parliament, the least represented group is the group formed by young women. Just 1.4% of MPs are women under 30 and just 7.9% are women under 40.

IPU data shows that global progress on gender equality slowed in 2023, and in some cases went into reverse, with reactionary agendas in some countries reducing the rights of women. Socioeconomic barriers, societal gender bias, discrimination, violence, sexual harassment and cyberbullying are major challenges being faced disproportionately by women in politics, and remain strong barriers and sources of political disengagement for too many young women.

Cognizant of the risks associated with young women’s under-representation and political marginalization, in 2021 the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the United Nations Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth called all stakeholders to action on young women’s participation and leadership.

Three years later and marking International Youth Day 2024, the IPU is organizing an online briefing of its Empowerment Series for Young Parliamentarians on Young women’s political participation to take stock of the implementation of the Call to Action and discuss further measures required to accelerate progress on young women’s political participation and leadership.

Simultaneous interpretation will be available in English, French, Spanish and Arabic.

Background documents:

¨Call to Action – On young women’s political participation and leadership

¨Youth participation in national parliaments (2023)

¨I Say Yes to Youth in Parliament! campaign

Click here to register online