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.
According to a new study, around 80% of women in Parliament are exposed to gender-based violence. In May, the study surveyed 33 women who are working in or have recently quit Parliament, with 25 women responding.
Female representation in Nepal's parliament has increased dramatically in the last 10 years.
(Tokyo, 27 June)—In the lead up to the 25th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (Beijing+25) and UN Women’s ground-breaking campaign commemorating the anniversary, “Generation Equality: Realizing women’s rights for an equal
The new-look European Parliament includes the youngest person ever to sit as an MEP.
Kira Peter-Hansen, from Denmark, is just 21 and was still studying at university when she was elected.
Hon Catherine Gotani Hara, a lawmaker with the main opposition Malawi Congress Party, MCP, has been elected speaker of the country’s parliament becoming the first woman speaker.
South Africa's president on Wednesday named a trimmed-down Cabinet that is 50% women, making the country's one of few in the world to be "gender-balanced."
The number of women members of the European Parliament has doubled since direct elections were first held in 1979 but they still remain the minority, particularly in the top jobs.
Spain’s new parliament, sworn in on Tuesday, has the largest share of women in any European legislature, no small achievement for a country still reinventing itself four decades after the end of a right-wing, traditionalist dictatorship.