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 are scared to enter politics because of their past. I was one of them

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April 23, 2021

Women are scared to enter politics because of their past. I was one of them

Almost 10 years ago, I worked as a topless waitress. I never realised the profound impact those few months would have on my entire life

India’s failure to include enough women in politics

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April 23, 2021

India’s failure to include enough women in politics

The world’s largest democracy has barely begun to draw on half its pool of candidates.

April 16, 2021

Australia to scrap harassment exemption for judges and politicians

SYDNEY (Reuters) -Australia will scrap exemptions for judges and politicians from sexual harassment laws, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Thursday, as his government struggles to contain a backlash over allegations of mistrea

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April 15, 2021

Dutch election: Is online sexism holding women back from becoming MPs?

With female participation in this week’s election in the Netherlands breaking records, one campaign group can be excused for feeling optimistic.

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AGORA: Portal for Parliamentary Development

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April 9, 2021

AGORA: Portal for Parliamentary Development

From its launch in 2010, the AGORA Portal for Parliamentary Development has played a leading role in the parliamentary development community as a knowledge and learning hub for parliamentarians, parliamentary staff, development partners and academia.

April 9, 2021

An interactive map helps municipalities in building gender responsive services

Purple Map shows women centers, day care centers and gender responsive municipal services of Ankara Metropolitan Municipality.

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April 7, 2021

This is what leadership looks like: Meet Cecilia Moyoviri Moye, an indigenous woman Senator in Bolivia’s Legislative Assembly

After the November 2020 national elections, women make up 49 per cent of the Legislative Assembly of the Plurinational State of Bolivia, cementing its position as a forerunner on gender parity in politics.

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April 7, 2021

This is what leadership looks like: Meet Elena Crasmari, the only woman in her local council in Moldova

Elena Crasmari decided to run for office so that the local administration could meet the needs of all members of her community.

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April 6, 2021

“Equality Index” of women mayors and councillors in Austria

The Institute for Social Research of Austria (SORA) surveyed the proportion of women among all mayors and councillors in Austria as part of the “Equality Index” for the Austrian Association of Cities and Towns (AACT).

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