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.

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Barriers to Women Entering Parliament and Local Government in the United Kingdom

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February 28, 2019

Barriers to Women Entering Parliament and Local Government in the United Kingdom

In January 2018, the Government Equalities Office (GEO) commissioned this rapid evidence review, the two broad aims of which were to identify: a) barriers to women’s participation in local and

Representation Matters: Women in the U.S. Congress

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February 26, 2019

Representation Matters: Women in the U.S. Congress

The importance of having women serving in Congress is still not fully appreciated or understood.

Path to Parity: How Women Run and Win in the United States

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February 26, 2019

Path to Parity: How Women Run and Win in the United States

Path to Parity: How Women Run and Win distills Political Parity’s research on women candidates and elected officeholders, drawing on additional studies to illuminate issues and proffer strategies

February 1, 2019

Lebanon appoints first female Arab interior minister

Lebanese politician Raya Hassan made history on Thursday when she became the first woman interior minister in the Arab world.

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January 24, 2019

Meet the 32-year-old nurse who just became the youngest black woman in the US Congress

When the 116th Congress was sworn into office on Thursday, the class made history as the most diverse group ever with a record 127 women.

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January 24, 2019

Togo : Yawa Tsegan Djigbodi becomes the first president of the national assembly in the history of the country

For the first time in Togo’s history, the national assembly will be presided by a woman: Yawa Tsegan Djigbodi is the new president of this assembly.

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January 16, 2019

Senior female MPs to come together to encourage women in politics

It's rare that members of parliament from across the political spectrum sit down and unanimously agree on an issue.

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January 14, 2019

Are reserved seats in the parliament sufficient for women’s empowerment?

There is broad consensus that women’s increased participation in politics is necessary for both the democratic development of the country, as well as women’s empowerment in Bangladesh.

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January 10, 2019

2018 left Rwandans with a more inclusive parliament

One of the hallmarks of post-Genocide Rwanda is inclusive politics. The year 2018 brought about more gains as far as political plurality is concerned, at least in the Chamber of Deputies where two new opposition parties won seats.

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