'Men remain the overwhelming majority in high political positions'
New York, US (PANA) - Progress towards gender equality in political leadership remains insufficient as we enter 2025, with men outnumbering women at least three to one in governments and parliaments, according to data released Tuesday by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and UN Women.
While the percentage of women in national parliaments increased by 0.3 percentage points to 27.2% from the previous year, it decreased by 0.4 percentage points in governments, according to the 2025 edition of the Women in Politics Map published by the IPU and UN Women.
The IPU is the global organisation of national parliaments and UN Women is the UN agency for gender equality and the empowerment of women.
As the new session of the Commission on the Status of Women opened in New York on Monday, the United Nations is this year marking the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the landmark UN framework that set out the road map towards achieving gender equality and women's rights.
Systemic failure
“The slow progress in women’s representation in parliaments is alarming, especially after a year marked by numerous elections. This disparity highlights the systemic failure of efforts to promote gender parity in politics in some parts of the world. It is high time to take strong action to remove these obstacles and ensure that women’s voices in politics are heard on an equal footing with men’s everywhere. The health of our democracies depends on it,” said IPU President Tulia Ackson.
According to IPU Secretary-General Martin Chungong, "accelerating progress requires the active participation and support of men".
“It is our collective responsibility to break down barriers and ensure that women’s voices are also heard at leadership levels, to foster a more inclusive and robust democracy for all,” he adds.
UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous, said it was not possible to accept a world “where half the population is systematically excluded from decision-making”.
“We know the solutions: quotas, electoral reforms and the political will to dismantle systemic barriers. The time for half-measures is over—it is time for governments to act now to ensure women have an equal place at all tables where power is exercised,” she said.
Countries led by women remain the exception
IPU and UN Women data show that women hold the highest positions of government in only 25 countries. Europe remains the region with the highest number of countries led by women (12). Although 2024 will see several major firsts, including the election of the first female presidents in North Macedonia, Mexico and Namibia, 106 countries have yet to have a woman leader.
Decline in the number of female ministers
As of 1 January 2025, the share of women at the head of ministries was 22.9%, compared to 23.3% a year ago. This decline is explained by the fact that the number of women ministers increased in 62 countries, but stagnated in 63 countries and decreased in 64 others compared to the previous year.
Only nine countries, mostly in Europe, have achieved parity in government, with at least 50% of women at the head of ministries.
These countries are Nicaragua (64.3%), Finland (61.1%), Iceland and Liechtenstein (60%), Estonia (58.3%) and Andorra, Chile, Spain and the United Kingdom (50%).
This represents a step backwards from 2024, when 15 countries had achieved parity at the head of ministries. In 20 other countries, half of them in Europe, the share of women at the head of ministries fluctuates between 40 and 49.9%.
Nine countries, most of them in Asia and the Pacific, have no women ministers, while there were only seven in 2024.
The percentage of women ministers is highest in Europe and North America (31.4%), as well as in Latin America and the Caribbean (30.4%).
Conversely, women are significantly underrepresented in most other regions, with, for example, a rate of 10.2% in the Pacific Islands (excluding Australia and New Zealand) and 9% in Central and South Asia.
The distribution of ministries still subject to gender stereotypes
The allocation of ministerial portfolios reveals the persistence of gender bias. Women continue to be entrusted mainly with ministries in the areas of gender equality, human rights and social affairs.
Key ministries, such as foreign affairs, finance and budgetary affairs, internal affairs and defence, continue to be predominantly assigned to men.
Although women remain underrepresented, there are more of them heading other key ministries, such as culture (35.4%), education (30.6%) and tourism (30.5%).
The increase in the number of women parliamentarians is running out of steam
The map was released following the IPU's annual report Women in Parliament , which shows that, despite 2024 being an exceptional election year, the increase in the share of women in parliaments was at its lowest level since 2017.
The data also reveal significant disparities between regions:
- The Americas have the highest proportion of women parliamentarians (34.5%) and speakers of parliament (33.3%).
- Europe comes second with 31.8% of women parliamentarians and 30.4% of women speakers of parliament.
- The Middle East and North Africa region ranks last, with only 16.7% of parliamentary seats held by women and no female speakers of parliament.
However, the total number of female speakers of parliament increased from 62 (out of 273 total positions, or 22.7%) in 2023 to 64 (out of 270 positions, or 23.7%) in 2024.
As for the vice-presidency of parliaments, it is now ensured at 32.6% by women, against 28.9% in 2023.
-0- PANA MA 11March2025
