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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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14th Summit of women speakers of parliament (Video)

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September 14, 2022

14th Summit of women speakers of parliament (Video)

The 14th Summit of Women Speakers of Parliament (14SWSP), convened by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), in close cooperation with the Oliy Majlis (Supreme Assembly) of Uzbekistan, took place in-person, in Tashkent (Uzbekistan), from 8 to 9 September 2022.

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The 14th Summit of Women Speakers of Parliament (14SWSP), convened by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), in close cooperation with the Oliy Majlis (Supreme Assembly) of Uzbekistan, took place in-person, in Tashkent (Uzbekistan), from 8 to 9 September 2022.

Senegal leads way on women legislators but challenges ahead

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September 12, 2022

Senegal leads way on women legislators but challenges ahead

Senegal will break new ground Monday as West Africa's largest-ever proportion of women MPs take their seats in a newly elected legislature, stirring hopes of change in a country where patriarchal laws and attitudes are entrenched.

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Aminata Touré, ancienne Première ministre du Sénégal et nouvelle députée, dans sa maison de Dakar, le 8 septembre 2022 afp.com - JOHN WESSELS

Senegal will break new ground Monday as West Africa's largest-ever proportion of women MPs take their seats in a newly elected legislature, stirring hopes of change in a country where patriarchal laws and attitudes are entrenched.

September 6, 2022
India: Ex-MLA Bijimol opens up on trauma inflicted by anti-woman colleagues in CPI

ES Bijimol, a three-time MLA of the Communist Party of India (CPI) has said she suffered moral attacks and degradation from her male colleagues for daring to contest in a male bastion.

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September 5, 2022
Five things to know about Women Speakers of Parliament

It’s no secret that women have had to put up a tenacious fight to be seen and heard in  politics worldwide.

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September 2, 2022
Tasmanian parliamentary staff exposed to sexual harassment, abuse and degrading behaviour, review finds

Tasmanian ministerial and parliamentary staff are being subjected to degrading, belittling and abusive behaviour, including exposure of body parts and indecent phone calls, with MPs and managers the worst offenders, a review has found.

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A conversation with...Sara Falaknaz, MP, United Arab Emirates

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August 12, 2022

A conversation with...Sara Falaknaz, MP, United Arab Emirates

As part of the IPU series called 'A conversation with...', we interview parliamentarians from all over the world to find out who they represent and what motivates them. In this edition, we discover Sara Falaknaz, a parliamentarian from the United Arab Emirates.

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As part of the IPU series called 'A conversation with...', we interview parliamentarians from all over the world to find out who they represent and what motivates them. In this edition, we discover Sara Falaknaz, a parliamentarian from the United Arab Emirates.

A conversation with… Iqra Khalid, MP, Canada

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August 12, 2022

A conversation with… Iqra Khalid, MP, Canada

As part of the IPU series called 'A conversation with...', we interview parliamentarians from all over the world to find out who they represent and what motivates them. In this edition, we discover Iqra Khalid, a parliamentarian from Canada.

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As part of the IPU series called 'A conversation with...', we interview parliamentarians from all over the world to find out who they represent and what motivates them. In this edition, we discover Iqra Khalid, a parliamentarian from Canada.

CWP gender-sensitising parliaments

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August 12, 2022

CWP gender-sensitising parliaments

The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association’s Gender Sensitising Parliamentary Guidelines: A Seven-Step Field Guide (‘Field Guide’) provides a blueprint for Commonwealth parliaments interested in undertaking a Gender Sensitive Parliament (GSP) review of their instituti

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The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association’s Gender Sensitising Parliamentary Guidelines: A Seven-Step Field Guide (‘Field Guide’) provides a blueprint for Commonwealth parliaments interested in undertaking a Gender Sensitive Parliament (GSP) review of their instituti

Between Westminster and Brussels: Putting the “Parliament” in parliamentary ethnography

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August 12, 2022

Between Westminster and Brussels: Putting the “Parliament” in parliamentary ethnography

Gender and politics scholars are increasingly making appeals to ethnographic methodology to bring important contributions to understand the reproduction of gender, gender hierarchies, gendered relations, and their redress in parliamentary settings.

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Gender and politics scholars are increasingly making appeals to ethnographic methodology to bring important contributions to understand the reproduction of gender, gender hierarchies, gendered relations, and their redress in parliamentary settings.

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