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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Women quit politics over feeling like office plants': study

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October 11, 2024

Women quit politics over feeling like office plants': study

Women are voluntarily leaving politics not because of sexism, double standards or work-life balance, but because they feel under-utilised, according to a new study.

World News

INTER PARES launches new gender equality handbook for parliaments

Submitted by Editor on Thu, 10/10/2024 - 06:04

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INTER PARES launches new gender equality handbook for parliaments

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A groundbreaking handbook titled Beyond Numbers: Stories of Gender Equality in and through Parliaments was released on 10 October 2024, focusing on the vital role of gender representation in legislative bodies worldwide.

World News

Female politicians get twice as many sexist comments on social media

Submitted by Editor on Wed, 10/09/2024 - 03:47

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Female politicians get twice as many sexist comments on social media

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Women in politics receive twice as many sexist comments on social media as their male colleagues, writes Het Laatste Nieuws on Tuesday. This also applies to local councillors and politicians with an immigrant background.

Research by the Institute for Gender Equality, ULB and UGent, which analysed 44,000 reactions to politicians' posts on Facebook, Instagram and X, shows that every four out of 10 comments are negative.

‘You look like a porn star’ – the abuse women face in politics as parties seek to hit gender quota

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October 5, 2024

‘You look like a porn star’ – the abuse women face in politics as parties seek to hit gender quota

A record number of women are expected to run in the next general election but insults and misogyny make the job of parties more difficult to encourage women to enter politics.

World News

Number of women in Japan's Cabinet drops to two

Submitted by Editor on Wed, 10/02/2024 - 10:37

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Number of women in Japan's Cabinet drops to two

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New Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Tuesday named two women ministers to his Cabinet, down from five in the outgoing administration.

Women are poorly represented in politics and business in Japan, and the world's fourth-largest economy has never had a woman prime minister.

Japan ranked 118 among 146 nations in the 2024 World Economic Forum's gender equity rankings, up from 125th but still the lowest among Group of Seven nations.

New Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Tuesday named two women ministers to his Cabinet, down from five in the outgoing administration.

Women are poorly represented in politics and business in Japan, and the world's fourth-largest economy has never had a woman prime minister.

Japan ranked 118 among 146 nations in the 2024 World Economic Forum's gender equity rankings, up from 125th but still the lowest among Group of Seven nations.

Social Researcher: Serious Effort Required for Women’s Representation in Kazakh Politics

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September 16, 2024

Social Researcher: Serious Effort Required for Women’s Representation in Kazakh Politics

According to Gulmira Ileuova, a sociologist and the head of the Strategy Centre for Social and Political Research, gender equality in Kazakhstan has severely deteriorated.

World News

UN Women says AI can intensify online threats against women in politics

Submitted by Editor on Thu, 09/12/2024 - 09:02

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UN Women says AI can intensify online threats against women in politics

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Online threats of death, rape, and physical violence against women in politics and public life have become alarmingly common, and the rise of artificial intelligence may further intensify the scale and reach of such online abuse, UN Women says in an explainer for the the International Day of