Twenty-six years after the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, which set the international goal of achieving gender balance in political decision-making, women remain under-represented at all levels of society. power.
Find out what is the participation of women in politics in different countries of the world.
On average, overall, women together own 25.5% of the two Houses. The difference is larger in the Pacific region (20.9%), the Middle East and North Africa (17.8%) and Asia (20.4%), and smaller in the Americas (32 , 4%) and in Europe (30.4%). In sub-Saharan Africa, the average is almost equal to the world average (25%). Only two countries in the world had more women parliamentarians in the lower house than men (Rwanda and Cuba), and one had 50/50 parity in parliament (United Arab Emirates) on January 1, 2021. The only three countries with more of women in the Senate than men are Australia (51.3%), Antigua and Barbuda (52.9%) and Bolivia (55.6%), followed closely by Mexico (49, 2%). Only 22 out of 193 countries have a woman head of government (Bangladesh, Barbados, Denmark, Estonia, Ethiopia, Finland, Gabon, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Lithuania, Nepal, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, Moldova, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Togo and Trinidad and Tobago), nine of which are also heads of state.
See the map of the political representation of the UN as of January 1, 2021
According to the UN, 119 countries have never had a woman leader, which shows that at the current rate, gender equality in key positions of power will not be achieved for 130 years. In 2021, only 13 countries had 50% or more women in ministerial positions (Nicaragua, Austria, Belgium, Sweden, Albania, Rwanda, Costa Rica, Canada, Andorra, Finland, France, Guinea-Bissau and Spain). Globally, most ministers tend to have portfolios related to family and children’s affairs, social affairs, environment, employment and gender equality. 82% of women parliamentarians who participated in a study conducted by the Inter-Parliamentary Union in 39 countries in five regions in 2016 declared having suffered some form of psychological violence (sexist or humiliating comments, gestures and images made against them or threats and / or harassment) in the exercise of their mandates.
AND…
According to research from the University of Cambridge, women legislators are more likely to champion policies that support education and health – they are also more likely to pass and implement laws that promote gender equality. gender, including laws on domestic violence, rape and sexual harassment. According to the Council on Foreign Relations, when women’s parliamentary representation increases by 5%, a country is almost five times less likely to respond to an international crisis with violence. In countries, women’s parliamentary representation is associated with a lower risk of civil war and lower levels of state human rights violations, such as disappearances, deaths, political arrests and torture.
Representation in the countries of the ‘Towards Equality’ project
In Afghanistan (which ranks 71st out of 193 countries polled by the UN for gender parity in parliament), women currently occupy 27% of the lower house and 27.9% of the Senate or upper house. Women hold 6.5% of ministerial positions in the country (2 out of 31). In Argentina (18th position out of 193 countries analyzed by the UN in terms of parity in Parliament), women currently occupy 42.4% of the Lower House and 40.3% of the Senate or the Upper House. A woman is currently President of the Senate. Women hold 18.2% of ministerial positions in the country (4 out of 22). In Brazil (which ranks 142nd out of 193 countries analyzed by the UN on gender parity in Parliament), women currently occupy 15.2% of the Lower House and 12.4% of the Senate and hold 10.5% of ministerial posts in the country (2 out of 19). In France (27th out of 193 countries analyzed by the UN), women currently occupy 34.8% of the lower house and 12.4% of the Senate or upper house of Parliament and control 50% of ministerial positions (9 out of 18) . In Italy (which occupies the 35th position among the 193 countries analyzed by the UN, tied with Guyana), women currently occupy 35.7% of the Lower House and 34.4% of the Senate or the Upper House of Parliament. A woman is currently Speaker of Parliament. Women hold 36.4% of ministerial positions in the country (8 out of 22). In Japan (which ranks 166th out of the 193 countries analyzed), women currently occupy 9.9% of the lower house and 23% of the Senate or the upper house of Parliament. A woman is currently president of the legislature. Women head 10% of the country’s ministries (2 out of 20). In Kenya (105th place out of 193 countries analyzed by the UN on gender parity in parliament, tied with Fiji and Cambodia), women currently hold 21.6% of the lower house and 12.4% of the Senate or of the upper house. They occupy 31.8% of ministerial posts in the country (7 out of 23). In Lebanon (183rd position among the 193 countries analyzed by the UN), women currently hold 4.7% of Parliament (Chamber of Deputies). The country does not have a Senate. They occupy 31.6% of ministerial posts in the country (6 out of 19). In Morocco (which occupies the 114th position among the 193 countries analyzed by the UN), women currently occupy 20.5% of the lower house and 11.7% of the Senate or upper house of Parliament and 15.8% of positions ministries of the country (3 of 19). In South Africa (12th position among the 193 countries analyzed by the UN with regard to gender parity in Parliament), women currently occupy 45.8% of the lower house and 41.5% of the Senate or the Upper room. A woman is now Speaker of Parliament. Women hold 48.3% of ministerial positions in the country (14 out of 29). In Spain (16th position among the 193 countries analyzed by the UN), women now hold 44% of the Lower House and 40.8% of the Senate or the Upper House of Parliament. A woman is currently president of the agency. Women hold 50% of ministerial positions in the country (11 out of 22). In Switzerland (20th position among the 193 countries analyzed by the UN in terms of parity in Parliament), women currently control 42% of the Lower House and 26.1% of the Senate or the Upper House and occupy 42.9% ministerial posts in the country (3 out of 7). In the United Kingdom (which ranks 39th among the 193 countries analyzed by the UN for gender parity in Parliament, tied with Cameroon), women now hold 33.9% of the lower house and 27.9% % of Senate or Upper House of Parliament. Women head 23.8% of the country’s ministries (5 out of 21).
This report is published as part of the “Towards Equality” project, an international and collaborative initiative that brings together 15 media outlets to present the challenges and solutions to achieve gender equality.
Translated by Luiz Roberto M. Gonçalves
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