• According to recently released, 2019 edition of the biennial IPU (Inter-Parliamentary Union) the proportion of women ministers is at an all-time high at 20.7 percent, 2.4 percentage points higher than that in 2017.

Important highlights:

• Women’s representation in political decision-making continues to rise slowly, with slight improvements since 2017.
• However, women’s representation in top-level leadership has decreased from 7.2 per cent of elected heads of state to 6.6 per cent (10 out of 153), and from 5.7 per cent of heads of government to 5.2 per cent (10 out of 193).
• The largest increase in women’s political representation in the executive, from 10 per cent women ministers in 2017 to 47.6 per cent in 2019.
• Mexico made the biggest strides in the Americas, with the addition of five women ministers, increasing the overall share of women ministers by 26.3 percentage points to 42.1 per cent.
• The number of countries with no women ministers decreased from 13 in 2017 to 11.
• More women are in charge of portfolios traditionally occupied by men compared to 2017: 30 per cent more women ministers cover defense, 52.9 per cent more women cover finance, and 13.6 per cent more women cover foreign affairs.
• More women in politics leads to more inclusive decisions and can change people’s image of what a leader looks like.
• The growing proportion of women ministers is encouraging, especially where we see a rise in the number of countries with gender-balanced ministerial cabinets. These are the types of bold moves that we need if we are to dramatically increase women’s representation in decision-making.
• Among countries in Asia, Pakistan progressed from having no women ministers since 2012 to reaching its highest-ever share of women ministers at 12 per cent.
• In Europe, Slovenia dropped the most percentage points since 2017 from 50 per cent to 25 per cent women ministers. Lithuania no longer has women in ministerial positions, compared to 2017 when there were three out of 14, or 21.4 per cent.
• The number of countries with no women ministers decreased from 13 in 2017 to 11: Azerbaijan, Belize, Brunei Darussalam, Iraq, Kiribati, Lithuania, Papua New Guinea, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saudi Arabia, Thailand and Vanuatu.

Analysis:

• Equal representation in government positions is fundamental for a democracy to be truly representative and effective. Despite some positive movement, the overwhelming majority of government leaders remain male. It is a shared responsibility between men and women to change this and ensure gender equality at all political levels. It is important to identify the main barriers that are stopping women from accessing decision-making positions.
• More women in politics leads to more inclusive decisions and can change people’s image of what a leader looks like.