Parliaments & Representatives

The Speaker of the House Papalii Lio Masipau made a bold statement about why he thinks gender inequality exists in politics. He views the matai system and customs as prohibiting women from traditional governance impacting their chances to run for office.

The underrepresentation of Nigerian women in governance and politics has been a longstanding issue in political discourse.

Tamika Davis is a first-term MP from Jamaica, part of the historic high of 29% of incoming women MPs in the House of Representatives and the first woman to be elected in her constituency.

In my journey as a Member of Parliament (MP), I’ve faced firsthand the multifaceted challenges that women in politics encounter — challenges that extend well beyond legislative duties and reveal entrenched societal perceptions and biases.

Only three percent of women are directly engaged in politics, while 11 percent have no interest in involvement at all. This is what the research findings of the "Friedrich Eber" foundation say, which were presented by professor Besa Luzha.

This article investigates legislators’ willingness to talk about gender and women during policy making discussions, asking whether it is conditional on their sex or partisanship in environments where party discipline does not constrain their speech.