0-4
5-9
10-14
15-19
20-24
25-29
30-34
35-39
40-44
45-49
50-54
55-59
60-64
percent
women
in national
legislature
legislation addressing domestic violence
an employment law mandating
nondiscrimination based on sex
a law mandating equal remuneration
for work of equal value
paid or unpaid maternity leave
A country has or does not have:
mandated gender quotas
No data
Vanuatu
P.N.G.
Micronesia
Solomon Is.
Yemen
Oman
Maldives
Lebanon
Kuwait
Nigeria
Haiti
Tuvalu
Tonga
Samoa
Marshall Is.
Kiribati
Sri Lanka
Qatar
Iran
Brunei
Mali
Eswatini
D.R. Congo
Comoros
C.A.R.
Botswana
Belize Benin
Palau
Nauru
Syria
Myanmar
Malaysia
Japan
India
Georgia
Bhutan
Bahrain
Ukraine
Malta
Liechtenstein
Hungary
The Gambia
Sierra Leone
S. Tome & Pr.
Mauritius
Liberia
Guinea-Bissau
Ghana
Egypt
Côte d'Ivoire
Congo
Chad
Burkina Faso
Paraguay
The Bahamas
St.Vincent & G.
St. Kitts & N.
Antigua & Barb.
Fiji
Uzbekistan
Turkey
Thailand
Tajikistan
South Korea
Saudi Arabia
North Korea
Jordan
Cambodia
Azerbaijan
Slovakia
Russia
Greece
Cyprus
Zambia
Togo
Niger
Madagascar
Libya
Gabon
Colombia
Brazil
St. Lucia
Jamaica
Barbados Guatemala
U.A.E.
Turkmenistan
Singapore
Pakistan
Israel
China
Bangladesh
Armenia
Slovenia
San Marino
Romania
Montenegro
Luxembourg
Lithuania
Ireland
Czechia
Croatia
Bos. & Her.
Somalia
Seychelles
Morocco
Mauritania
Malawi
Lesotho
Kenya
Guinea
Eritrea
Eq. Guinea
Cabo Verde
Venezuela
Uruguay
Chile
United States
Panama
Honduras
Dominica
Vietnam
Philippines
Laos
Kazakhstan
Iraq
Afghanistan
Poland
Moldova
Latvia
Estonia
Bulgaria
Albania
South Sudan
Djibouti
Angola
Algeria
Suriname
Peru
Dominican Rep.
Canada
Australia
Nepal
U.K.
Switzerland
Netherlands
Monaco
Germany
Belarus
Zimbabwe
Uganda
Cameroon
Guyana
Trin. & Tobago
El Salvador
Timor-Leste
Serbia
Portugal
N. Macedonia
Italy
Iceland
France
Denmark
Austria
Tunisia
Tanzania
Mozambique
Ethiopia
Burundi
Ecuador
Argentina
New Zealand
Norway
Belgium
Senegal
Sweden
Spain
Finland
Andorra
South Africa
Namibia
Mexico
Costa Rica Grenada
Bolivia
Cuba
Rwanda
Nicaragua
Mongolia
Kyrgyzstan
Women hold more than 50 percent of seats
No women in national legislature
North America
South
America
Asia
Rwanda
Europe
Africa
Australia
& Oceania
NOTE: IN BICAMERAL GOVERNMENTS, ONLY LOWER HOUSE DATA ARE MEASURED. NATIONAL
LEGISLATURE DATA AS OF JULY 2019. LEGISLATION DATA AS OF MARCH 2019.
KENNEDY ELLIOTT, NGM STAFF. SOURCES: ZEINA HILAL, INTER-PARLIAMENTARY UNION; WORLD BANK
Women account for roughly half the world’s
population but occupy less than a quarter
of political seats. Rwanda is an outlier,
with more women in power, proportionally,
than any other country (followed by two
other authoritarian-leaning nations, Cuba
and Bolivia). But political parity—whether
through appointments or elections—
remains an elusive goal in many countries.
POWER IN NUMBERS
Quotas aren’t enough
Countries with sanctions for failing to
meet quotas, such as Costa Rica where
candidate lists below the quota are
rejected, tend to have more women
leaders. The Democratic Republic of
the Congo, which has no sanctions, has
a 50 percent quota, yet women hold
only 10 percent of seats.
Elections amplify gains
Rwanda’s post-conflict, 2003
Constitution calls for 30 percent
of legislative seats to be reserved
for women. Last year women won
double the seats required by
quota and now represent
61 percent of the legislature.
Progress takes time
Sweden’s parliament has
almost reached gender
parity with voluntary quotas
introduced in the 1970s. Since
then the number of women
holding seats has risen from
14 to 47 percent.
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