Parliaments and Representatives

Democracy and the equal participation of men and women in the political arena are closely intertwined. No parliament or any decision-making body can claim to be representative without the participation of both men and women. As stated in the Universal Declaration on Democracy adopted by the Inter-Parliamentary Union’s Member Parliaments in 1997, "The achievement of democracy presupposes a genuine partnership between men and women in the conduct of the affairs of society in which they work in equality and complementarity, drawing mutual enrichment from their differences."

Recent years have seen a steady increase in the number of women in parliament, though the world average of less than 22 percent remains far from the goal of parity between women and men. The election of women to the highest positions of state and government in several countries has also contributed to the changing face of politics.

While the road to election is a difficult one, the challenges for women do not stop there. Once women enter parliament or other bodies, they are faced with many new challenges. Parliament is traditionally a male-oriented domain where the rules and practices have been written by men. It is, therefore, an ongoing challenge to transform parliament into a gender-sensitive environment, to ensure that actions are gender-sensitive and to guarantee that gender is mainstreamed throughout the legislature.

Overrepresentation of men in UN climate process persists

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November 15, 2021

Overrepresentation of men in UN climate process persists

New reports published ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference COP26 in Glasgow in November show that decision-making and technical panels under UN Climate Change (known as “constituted bodies”) are increasingly integrating a gender perspective into their work,

Effective, decisive, and inclusive: Women’s leadership in COVID-19 response and recovery

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November 15, 2021

Effective, decisive, and inclusive: Women’s leadership in COVID-19 response and recovery

This working paper is part of UN Women’s research efforts to highlight the importance of women’s leadership and participation in decision-making during the pandemic and beyond.

Increasing the cost of female representation? The gendered effects of harassment, abuse and intimidation towards Parliamentary candidates in the UK

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November 12, 2021

Increasing the cost of female representation? The gendered effects of harassment, abuse and intimidation towards Parliamentary candidates in the UK

Recently, the issue of harassment and intimidation of women in politics in long-established democracies has become a source of concern.

November 12, 2021

New German Parliament is younger and more female

As the new German Bundestag sits for the first time on 26 October, IPU data shows that it has more women MPs and that the number of young MPs has significantly increased compared with the previous legislature elected in 2017.

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Les «petites» femmes de la politique kirghize

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November 9, 2021

Les «petites» femmes de la politique kirghize

Au Kirghizstan, le grand nombre d’hommes en politique est un problème. Mais cette histoire est celle de « petites » femmes qui font de grandes choses.

The League of California Cities Women’s Caucus

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November 9, 2021

The League of California Cities Women’s Caucus

The League of California Cities Women’s Caucus is a nonpartisan and multicultural organization of local public officials who are dedicated to advancing and empowering women as leaders and advocating for issues that improve the well-being of women and our constituents

2021 Report by the OSCE PA Special Representative on Gender Issues highlights surge in violence against women journalists and politicians

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November 8, 2021

2021 Report by the OSCE PA Special Representative on Gender Issues highlights surge in violence against women journalists and politicians

Special Representative on Gender Issues Hedy Fry (Canada) issued the 2021 Report today with a thematic focus on “Violence against women journalists and politicians: a growing crisis,” shedding light on intensifying and widespread offline and online violence against women in two public f