Parliaments & Representatives

Sonia Palmieri is Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Pacific Affairs in the College of Asia and the Pacific, The Australian National University. Her research examines the social and cultural factors influencing women’s leadership in political institutions, including gender-sensitive parliaments. Sonia Palmieri joined a two-day Expert Group Meeting organized by UN Women to address one of the most persistent barriers to gender equality in political and public life: discriminatory social norms. The event held on 4-5 February 2025 brought together feminist scholars, policymakers, activists, and practitioners to chart a path forward for transforming social norms and ensuring women’s full and effective political participation. This experts’ meeting was organized under the WYDE | Women’s Leadership, funded by the European Union, which is a collaborative global effort aimed at advancing women’s full and effective political participation and decision-making at all levels, especially those most often left furthest behind.

Can you explain what gender sensitive parliaments are and how they contribute to the political empowerment of women? 

Gender-sensitive parliaments have become a new norm, a standard for what a good parliament should be. At its heart, it is a parliament that recognizes its responsibility to advance gender equality. In theory, this might sound simple. In practice, however, a gender-sensitive parliament must actively reorient and transform how it functions – legislates, represents, conducts oversight - and communicates, in a way that consistently prioritizes gender equality. This is challenging because politicians come from diverse backgrounds with varying perspectives, and not everyone enters Parliament with the goal of advancing gender equality.

How can parliaments make gender equality a concrete and central aspect of their institution?

First, parliaments seeking to become gender-sensitive make a public commitment to gender equality.

They can do this by developing strategic or corporate plan, or even a national strategy to embed gender sensitivity in their work. 

However, becoming gender sensitive also requires practical transformation in parliamentary operations. For example, oversight bodies are necessary to ensure that parliament follows through on its gender equality commitments. A good example comes from Sweden, where a Speaker’s Reference Group [LP1] was established to continuously assess and evaluate Parliament’s strategic plans on gender equality. They explore how the parliament operates, review its outputs, and identify areas for improvement.

In summary, for a parliament to become gender-sensitive, it needs a clear commitment to gender equality, and transformation of working methods, including an accountability mechanism with monitoring and evaluation.

Pervading gender norms are one of the most enduring and difficult constraints women face in politics, including in parliaments. Could you tell us how these work?

Sadly, even after being elected, women still face social norms that cast them as different or less ideal representatives. They are often perceived as lacking the right skills or connections, which fuels critiques of their presence in political spaces. This belief translates into marginalization from decision-making—they may struggle to secure executive roles, chair committees, or serve as presiding officers.

Women are also delegitimized when they speak in the Chamber. It’s not uncommon for them to be interrupted, overpowered by noise in the chamber, or met with verbal objections and hostility, all tactics to undermine their authority. Even when elected, they are repeatedly made to feel that they are not the "ideal" political actor.

How can we challenge this?

We must resist in multiple ways and having allies is essential. Women need a support network of like-minded politicians to help navigate these challenges. Facing delegitimization alone can be disheartening and may even push women to leave politics altogether.

Of course, finding allies across political parties isn’t always easy, as party competition can sometimes prevent solidarity. However, women in parliament can unite against sexist or misogynistic behavior, creating a sense of collective resistance. It is also crucial for men to recognize and reject these behaviors. Parliaments need clear Codes of Conduct and enforceable rules to ensure a respectful environment for all. Unfortunately, enforcement is where politics often overrides the basic level of decency that should underpin any legislative body.

 What advice would you give to women parliamentarians?

When entering public institutions, no matter in which part of the world you sit, find your friends and allies both inside and outside the parliament, because you are going to need a support network! Make sure to identify your own personal coping mechanisms that will keep you and your mental health in check while identifying reliable sources of gender-sensitive advice and information to help you do your job effectively.

Emma Muteka is currently the youngest Regional Councillor in Namibia and a member of Parliament. She serves as the Vice Chairperson of the Parliamentary standing committee on Health, Social welfare and Labour affairs. She joined a two-day Expert Group Meeting organized by UN Women to address one of the most persistent barriers to gender equality in political and public life: discriminatory social norms. The event held on 4-5 February 2025 brought together feminist scholars, policymakers, activists, and practitioners to chart a path forward for transforming social norms and ensuring women’s full and effective political participation. This experts’ meeting was organized under the WYDE | Women’s Leadership, funded by the European Union, which is a collaborative global effort aimed at advancing women’s full and effective political participation and decision-making at all levels, especially those most often left furthest behind.

“I am a Member of Parliament from Namibia and have been engaged in politics since the age of 13. My early involvement in advocacy helped me realize how politics shapes daily life, from the price of bread to basic survival. What truly drove me was the desire to be the voice of the voiceless, as I felt that my generation lacked the space to be heard. In 2020, I made the decision to fully commit to politics and ran for office. It was not an easy journey. One major challenge was bridging the gap between young and older generations. I took time to humble myself, study the situation, and realized I needed to embrace intergenerational leadership, as senior politicians carried memories and trust from society. Senior politicians also needed assurance that young leaders were prepared to lead, so I engaged to ensure they were also mentoring us and creating an environment for this transition.

Another challenge was personal identity - my age, gender, and marital status were scrutinized. People doubted whether I could lead simply because I was unmarried and without children. To navigate these biases, I focused on building trust while staying true to myself. I studied my environment and engaged in one-on-one conversations with senior politicians, recognizing that personal discussions were more effective in earning their trust. I also consulted extensively with young people, who sometimes questioned my capabilities based on personal perceptions rather than competence. My goal now is to inspire youth, especially young women, to step into politics.

In terms of advice to young politicians, especially young women: first and foremost, believe in yourself. Have confidence and self-esteem but remain humble. Make sure you know your constituency and the cause you wish to champion, while remembering that it is all about serving others.

I especially encourage young women to empower themselves through education. Learning never goes out of style. Take every opportunity to educate yourself, whether through formal studies or short courses. Don’t limit yourself to political knowledge; understand economics, global affairs, and other areas that impact governance.

We have long debated women’s participation in politics, it is time for implementation. Policies and laws must be enforced to support women in leadership. Talking is not enough; now, we must walk the talk.”

In the fight for better policies for mothers and families, Rep. Brittany Pettersen (D-Colo.) has also had to fight to have her own voice heard on Capitol Hill.

Last October, five months pregnant with her second child, Pettersen proposed a change to the House Rules Committee for “a narrow exception to the prohibition on proxy voting” that would allow members of Congress to vote by proxy while on parental leave, a push begun by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) after giving birth to her first child in 2023. This would have ensured, Petterson said in a recent interview with Ms., that as a member of Congress “you’re able to have your voice, your constituents’ voices represented” during a critical time for your family and health. 

Despite Republicans’ stated opposition to proxy voting, Pettersen and Luna scored a rare bipartisan win to move forward with the measure on April 1, representing an embarrassing defeat for House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.). In response, Johnson “adjourned the entire House for the rest of the week,” buying himself time to broker a deal to kill the effort that would have enabled remote voting for new moms in Congress.

Full article published by Ms. Magazine. 

Image by Ms. Magazine

One of the challenges facing local governments—and institutional politics in general—is reversing the historically negligible presence of women in political parties and administrations. Although the number of women on electoral lists and in council and mayoral positions has multiplied over the last decade, significant gaps still exist in the types of responsibilities men and women assume in city councils, and parity has not been achieved in the mayoral positions.

According to data from the Catalan Women's Institute (ICD), the portfolios of Social Services, Education, Health, and Community Welfare are typically headed by women. Social Services is particularly notable: in 75.3% of Catalan city councils, a woman holds the portfolio. In the case of Education, Health, and Community Welfare, the percentage of women is 65%.%. In contrast, in Security, Sports, Housing and Urban Planning, Infrastructure, and Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, there is a man in charge in two out of three cases.

Full article published by ARA.

Image by ARA

A heated debate on affirmative action versus merit-based appointments to increase women’s participation, including in the media, took centre stage at a BBC World Questions episode recorded live in Petaling Jaya last night.

The episode featured seven questions from the audience, including one that asked: “We can observe now most bosses in Malaysian media corporations are men. Where are the women?”

Full article by Malaysia Kini

Image Malaysia Kini