While the global stage of politics inches forward with women now holding just over a quarter of parliamentary seats, a closer look reveals a dynamic map of extraordinary progress, stubborn gaps, and resilient leaders reshaping power from Rwanda's record-breaking legislature to the corridors of courts and cabinets worldwide.
Key Takeaways
- As of January 2024, women account for 26.9% of seats in lower or single houses of parliaments worldwide, up from 26.5% in 2023
- Rwanda leads globally with 61.3% women in its lower house of parliament as of 2023
- Cuba has 55.7% women in its National Assembly, the second highest globally in 2023
- There are 90 female Speakers of Parliament across 85 countries as of 2023
- 13 countries have women as Heads of State and/or Government as of 2024
- Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been in power since 2009, longest-serving female leader
- In the US, women hold 27.2% of seats in the House of Representatives as of 2023
- US Senate has 25% women senators as of 2024, a record 25 women
- In the UK, 40% of Supreme Court justices are women as of 2023
- Globally, voter turnout for women exceeds men by 2% on average in recent elections
- In the 2020 US presidential election, 68% of women voted vs 65% of men
- Rwanda's 2023 local elections saw 62% women candidates elected to councils
- Globally, violence against women candidates rose 20% in 2020-2023
- 82% of women parliamentarians report psychological violence, per IPU 2023
- In Latin America, 40% of female politicians face online harassment daily
Despite slow progress, women are gaining political power across many nations.
Challenges and Progress
- Globally, violence against women candidates rose 20% in 2020-2023
- 82% of women parliamentarians report psychological violence, per IPU 2023
- In Latin America, 40% of female politicians face online harassment daily
- Women's parliamentary representation increased by 0.4% annually since 2010
- Gender quotas adopted in 130 countries by 2023, lifting average to 26%
- Caregiving burdens reduce women MPs' attendance by 15% globally
- In MENA region, cultural barriers limit women to 18% seats despite quotas
- COVID-19 reversed women leaders' gains, with 10% drop in new female ministers 2020-2021
- Youth quotas combined with gender boost under-30 women MPs to 12% in quota countries
- Media coverage of women candidates is 75% less than men in elections
- Progress in Nordic countries: 45% average women MPs sustained over decade
- In Africa, women's caucuses in 40 parliaments advance gender bills
- Funding gaps: women candidates receive 60% less party finance globally
- Mentorship programs increase women candidacy by 25% in pilot countries
- Intersectional barriers: indigenous women hold 5% of seats in Latin America despite 40% population share
- Digital tools boosted women voter mobilization by 18% in 2022 elections
- Backlash effect: post-quota, 15% of countries saw harassment rise
- Legislative wins: women MPs sponsor 40% more gender equality laws
- Global target of 50% by 2030 per Beijing+25 lags at current 0.5% annual gain pace
- Corporate boards parity influences politics: 30% women boards correlate with 35% MPs
Challenges and Progress Interpretation
We are slowly building a world where women lead, but it is a construction site where the scaffolding of progress is constantly being shaken by the determined hands of backlash.
Electoral Participation
- Globally, voter turnout for women exceeds men by 2% on average in recent elections
- In the 2020 US presidential election, 68% of women voted vs 65% of men
- Rwanda's 2023 local elections saw 62% women candidates elected to councils
- Mexico's 2021 midterm elections had 50% gender parity in candidates, leading to parity in Congress
- France's 2022 legislative elections mandated parity, resulting in 38.6% women elected
- In Sweden, women candidates win 46% of seats proportional to nominations
- Globally, women candidates are 28% of total in 2023 elections per IDEA
- Argentina's gender quota law since 1991 boosts women MPs to 40%
- Tunisia's 2014 elections had 47% women elected due to parity law
- Kenya's 2022 elections saw 23% women elected to parliament despite quotas
- India's 2023 women's reservation bill aims for 33% in parliament
- In the EU, average women candidates 38% in 2024 EP elections
- Brazil's 2022 elections had 33% women elected to Congress, up from 2018
- South Africa's 2024 elections projected 45% women MPs
- Japan's 2021 elections had only 10% women candidates, resulting in 10% MPs
- Globally, 128 countries have gender quotas for candidates as of 2023
- In local elections, women win 36% of seats worldwide per UN Women
- New Zealand's MMP system elects 50% women matching candidate parity
- Canada's 2021 election had 26% women candidates, 30% elected
- UK 2019 election saw 35% women MPs from 41% candidates
- Australia's 2022 election doubled women candidates to 37%, 31% elected
- In the US, women candidates hit record 27% in 2022 midterms
- Iceland's 2024 elections had 47% women elected due to list alternation
- Bolivia's Plurinational Assembly parity law yields 52% women
- Nepal's mixed system elects 33% women post-2017 constitution
Electoral Participation Interpretation
The data reveals a promising but stubborn truth: while ingenious laws and sheer force of will are getting more women to the ballot box and onto ballots, the political gatekeepers are still taking their sweet time turning candidate parity into elected parity, proving that equality is invited to the party but not yet allowed to truly run it.
Executive Positions
- There are 90 female Speakers of Parliament across 85 countries as of 2023
- 13 countries have women as Heads of State and/or Government as of 2024
- Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been in power since 2009, longest-serving female leader
- Ethiopia's President Sahle-Work Zewde is the first female head of state since 2018
- Finland's President Alexander Stubb succeeded Sanna Marin, who was PM from 2019-2023
- New Zealand's former PM Jacinda Ardern resigned in 2023 after serving since 2017
- Barbados' President Sandra Mason since 2021, first in republic era
- Honduras' President Xiomara Castro elected in 2021, first woman president
- Slovakia's President Zuzana Čaputová re-elected in 2024
- Tanzania's Vice President Samia Suluhu Hassan became President in 2021
- Globally, women hold 22.9% of ministerial positions as of 2023
- In Europe, 28.4% of ministers are women in 2023
- Latin America and Caribbean have 26.8% female ministers on average
- Sub-Saharan Africa has 24.7% women ministers in 2023
- Spain's cabinet under Pedro Sánchez has 53.3% women ministers as of 2023
- Canada's cabinet has 52% women under Justin Trudeau in 2023
- France has 41% women in government as of 2024
- Germany has 41.2% female ministers post-2021 coalition
- Finland has near-parity with 55% women ministers in 2023
- Sweden has 52.4% women in government as of 2023
- In OECD countries, women average 32% of cabinet positions in 2023
- Globally, only 18.3% of Finance Ministers are women in 2023
- 13.6% of Defence Ministers worldwide are women as of 2023
- Women lead 37% of Foreign Ministries globally in 2023, highest portfolio
- In the EU, women hold 33% of commissioner positions as of 2024
- Namibia has 46.2% women ministers as of 2023
- Globally, 91 countries have had a female head of government as of 2023
Executive Positions Interpretation
The glass ceiling is beginning to look more like a latticework, with progress in fits and starts; while a few nations have women nearly running the show, the global stage still feels like a stubbornly exclusive club where the bouncer rarely checks the list.
Judicial Roles
- In the US, women hold 27.2% of seats in the House of Representatives as of 2023
- US Senate has 25% women senators as of 2024, a record 25 women
- In the UK, 40% of Supreme Court justices are women as of 2023
- Canada's Supreme Court has 50% women justices since 2015
- South Africa's Constitutional Court has 67% women justices as of 2023
- India's Supreme Court has 10.5% women justices with 2 out of 19 in 2023
- Globally, women comprise 38% of national court judges on average per UN 2023 report
- In Latin America, 45% of judges are women as of 2022
- Europe averages 55% women in lower courts but drops to 37% in supreme courts
- Rwanda's judiciary has 65% women judges as of 2023
- Bolivia's Supreme Court of Justice elected 7 women out of 9 in 2023, 78%
- Mexico's Supreme Court has 50% women justices as of 2023
- Colombia's Constitutional Court has 56% women as of 2023
- In Australia, 44% of federal judges are women as of 2023
- New Zealand's judiciary has 42% women High Court judges in 2023
- France's highest court has 48% women members as of 2023
- Germany's Federal Constitutional Court has 50% women justices since 2023 appointments
- In the Pacific Islands, women hold only 12% of judicial positions on average
- Globally, women are 27% of prosecutors per 2023 data
- In Asia, average women judges is 25% in higher courts
- Uganda's judiciary has 45% women judges as of 2023
- Kenya's Supreme Court has 44% women justices post-2021
Judicial Roles Interpretation
While a global wave of progress sees women increasingly breaking the judicial glass ceiling, the legislative branch often remains a stubbornly exclusive gentlemen's club, proving it's often easier to rule on the law than to write it.
Legislative Representation
- As of January 2024, women account for 26.9% of seats in lower or single houses of parliaments worldwide, up from 26.5% in 2023
- Rwanda leads globally with 61.3% women in its lower house of parliament as of 2023
- Cuba has 55.7% women in its National Assembly, the second highest globally in 2023
- Nicaragua ranks third with 54.8% women in its National Assembly as of 2023
- Mexico's Chamber of Deputies has 50.2% women following 2021 elections, achieving parity
- New Zealand's House of Representatives has 50.3% women as of 2023 elections
- South Africa's National Assembly has 45.6% women post-2019 elections
- Sweden's Riksdag has 46.4% women as of 2022
- Finland's Parliament has 45.9% women following 2023 elections
- Belgium's Chamber of Representatives has 43.7% women as of 2023
- In the Arab States, women hold only 18.5% of parliamentary seats on average in 2023
- Sub-Saharan Africa averages 25.1% women in lower houses in 2023, second highest regionally
- Europe (including Nordic) averages 31.4% women in parliaments in 2023
- The Americas average 34.8% women in lower houses, highest regionally in 2023
- Asia averages 21.4% women in parliaments as of 2023
- United Arab Emirates has 50% women in its Federal National Council as of 2023
- Andorra's General Council has 42.9% women post-2023 elections
- Liechtenstein's Parliament has 33.3% women as of 2021
- San Marino's Grand and General Council has 23.5% women in 2023
- Monaco's National Council has 25% women post-2023 elections
- Vietnam's National Assembly has 30.3% women as of 2021
- Lao PDR's National Assembly has 47.2% women in 2021
- Timor-Leste's National Parliament has 42.4% women post-2023
- Australia's House of Representatives has 31.3% women post-2022 elections
- Canada's House of Commons has 30.5% women as of 2021
- United Kingdom's House of Commons has 34.0% women post-2019
- France's National Assembly has 38.6% women post-2022
- Germany's Bundestag has 34.9% women post-2021
- Italy's Chamber of Deputies has 35.7% women post-2022
- Spain's Congress of Deputies has 44.3% women post-2023
- As of October 2023, 28 countries have achieved 40% or more women in lower houses
Legislative Representation Interpretation
While global progress in women's political representation is moving at a glacial pace—having barely inched forward from 26.5% to 26.9%—the true story is a continental sprint where the Americas lead at 34.8%, a few nations like Rwanda soar above 60%, and a frustratingly large club of countries remains stubbornly stuck in the last century.
Sources & References
- Reference 1IPUipu.orgVisit source
- Reference 2UNWOMENunwomen.orgVisit source
- Reference 3ENen.wikipedia.orgVisit source
- Reference 4GOVgov.fiVisit source
- Reference 5BEEHIVEbeehive.govt.nzVisit source
- Reference 6GOVgov.bbVisit source
- Reference 7PRESIDENCIApresidencia.gob.hnVisit source
- Reference 8PREZIDENTprezident.skVisit source
- Reference 9IKULUikulu.go.tzVisit source
- Reference 10ECAeca.europa.euVisit source
- Reference 11CEPALcepal.orgVisit source
- Reference 12UNECAuneca.orgVisit source
- Reference 13LAMONCLOAlamoncloa.gob.esVisit source
- Reference 14PMpm.gc.caVisit source
- Reference 15GOUVERNEMENTgouvernement.frVisit source
- Reference 16BUNDESREGIERUNGbundesregierung.deVisit source
- Reference 17VALTIONEUVOSTOvaltioneuvosto.fiVisit source
- Reference 18REGERINGENregeringen.seVisit source
- Reference 19OECDoecd.orgVisit source
- Reference 20ECec.europa.euVisit source
- Reference 21GOVgov.naVisit source
- Reference 22CAWPcawp.rutgers.eduVisit source
- Reference 23SUPREMECOURTsupremecourt.ukVisit source
- Reference 24SCC-CSCscc-csc.caVisit source
- Reference 25CONCOURTconcourt.org.zaVisit source
- Reference 26SCIsci.gov.inVisit source
- Reference 27UNODCunodc.orgVisit source
- Reference 28EIGEeige.europa.euVisit source
- Reference 29JUDICIARYjudiciary.gov.rwVisit source
- Reference 30ORGANOJUDICIALorganojudicial.gob.boVisit source
- Reference 31SCJNscjn.gob.mxVisit source
- Reference 32CORTECONSTITUCIONALcorteconstitucional.gov.coVisit source
- Reference 33AGag.gov.auVisit source
- Reference 34COURTSOFNZcourtsofnz.govt.nzVisit source
- Reference 35CONSEIL-CONSTITUTIONNELconseil-constitutionnel.frVisit source
- Reference 36BUNDESVERFASSUNGSGERICHTbundesverfassungsgericht.deVisit source
- Reference 37ADBadb.orgVisit source
- Reference 38JUDICIARYjudiciary.go.ugVisit source
- Reference 39SUPREMECOURTsupremecourt.go.keVisit source
- Reference 40IDEAidea.intVisit source
- Reference 41PEWRESEARCHpewresearch.orgVisit source
- Reference 42NBRUBUMURAnbrubumura.gov.rwVisit source
- Reference 43INEine.mxVisit source
- Reference 44VALval.seVisit source
- Reference 45HCDNhcdn.gob.arVisit source
- Reference 46ISIEisie.tnVisit source
- Reference 47IEBCiebc.or.keVisit source
- Reference 48PRSINDIAprsindia.orgVisit source
- Reference 49RESULTSresults.elections.europa.euVisit source
- Reference 50TSEtse.jus.brVisit source
- Reference 51ELECTIONSelections.org.zaVisit source
- Reference 52SOUMUsoumu.go.jpVisit source
- Reference 53ELECTIONSelections.nzVisit source
- Reference 54ELECTIONSelections.caVisit source
- Reference 55PARLIAMENTparliament.ukVisit source
- Reference 56AECaec.gov.auVisit source
- Reference 57MMRmmr.isVisit source
- Reference 58OEPoep.org.boVisit source
- Reference 59ELECTIONelection.gov.npVisit source
- Reference 60UNESCWAunescwa.orgVisit source
- Reference 61NORDENnorden.orgVisit source
- Reference 62UNun.orgVisit source
- Reference 63NDIndi.orgVisit source
- Reference 64IFESifes.orgVisit source