Women’s participation in political leadership remains low globally — UN Women

Women’s equal participation and leadership in political and public life are essential to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, the United Nations (UN) Women has revealed on the sidelines of the ongoing 2026 Commission on the Status of Women in New York.

According to UN Women data obtained by the Communication for Development and Advocacy Consult (CDA Consult), women remain under represented at all levels of decision making worldwide, and achieving gender parity in political life remains far off.

The data indicate that as of 1 January 2026, there are 28 countries where 30 women serve as Heads of State and or Government. At the current pace, gender equality in the highest positions of power will not be achieved for another 130 years.

Currently, only 16 countries have a woman Head of State, while 21 countries have a woman Head of Government.

Data compiled by UN Women also show that women represent 22.4 per cent of cabinet members heading ministries and leading policy areas as of 1 January 2026.

There are only 14 countries where women hold 50 per cent or more of cabinet minister positions leading policy areas.

The most commonly held portfolios by women cabinet ministers are women and gender equality, followed by family and children affairs and social inclusion and development.

Women in National Parliaments
Women currently make up 27.5 per cent of parliamentarians worldwide, an increase from 11 per cent in 1995.

Only seven countries have 50 per cent or more women in parliament in single or lower houses. These are Rwanda with 64 per cent, Cuba with 57 per cent, Nicaragua with 55 per cent, Bolivia with 51 per cent, and Andorra, Mexico and the United Arab Emirates, each with 50 per cent.

A further 23 countries have reached or surpassed 40 per cent representation. These include ten countries in Europe, six in Africa, five in Latin America and the Caribbean, and two in the Asia Pacific region.

Globally, there are 21 states where women account for less than 10 per cent of parliamentarians in single or lower houses, including three lower chambers that have no women at all.

At the current rate of progress, gender parity in national legislative bodies will not be achieved before 2063.

Women hold 37 per cent of parliamentary seats in Latin America and the Caribbean and account for 33 per cent of parliamentarians in Europe and North America.

In sub Saharan Africa, women make up 27 per cent of legislators, followed by Eastern and South Eastern Asia with 24 per cent, Oceania with 21 per cent, Northern Africa and Western Asia with 18.5 per cent, and Central and Southern Asia with 17 per cent women Members of Parliament.

Women in Local Government
Data from 147 countries show that women constitute more than 3 million, representing 36 per cent of elected members in local deliberative bodies. Only two countries have reached 50 per cent representation, while an additional 29 countries have more than 40 per cent women in local government.

Regional variations in women’s representation in local deliberative bodies as of January 2025 show Central and Southern Asia leading with 41 per cent, followed by Europe and Northern America with 37 per cent, Oceania with 35 per cent, Eastern and South Eastern Asia with 31 per cent, Latin America and the Caribbean with 31 per cent, sub Saharan Africa with 26 per cent, and Western Asia and Northern Africa with 19 per cent.

Expanding Participation
Balanced political participation and power sharing between women and men in decision making is the internationally agreed target set in the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.

Although most countries have not achieved gender parity, gender quotas have significantly contributed to progress. In countries with legislated candidate quotas, women’s representation is five percentage points higher in parliaments and seven percentage points higher in local governments compared with countries without such legislation.

There is growing evidence that women’s leadership improves political decision making. For example, research on panchayats, which are local councils in India, found that the number of drinking water projects in areas led by women was 62 per cent higher than in those led by men.

In Norway, a direct causal relationship was found between the presence of women in municipal councils and increased childcare coverage.

Women also demonstrate political leadership by working across party lines through parliamentary women’s caucuses, even in highly competitive political environments. They also champion issues related to gender equality, including the elimination of gender based violence, parental leave and childcare, pensions, gender equality laws, and electoral reform.

The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection of Ghana is championing the government’s achievements on the gender front, while representatives from various gender based civil society organisations, including women’s rights activists, are expected to highlight challenges to gender equality.

Ghana aims to showcase its gender mainstreaming policies and share progress made in combating gender based violence. The country also plans to hold a side event to highlight national identity and promote traditional and national wear.

The CSW70 session will also examine opportunities for advancing gender equality and empowering women.

The Commission on the Status of Women, the principal global intergovernmental body dedicated exclusively to promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women, was established by Council Resolution 11(II) on June 21, 1946.

Since its establishment, the Commission has played a key role in promoting women’s rights, documenting the realities of women’s lives around the world, and shaping global standards on gender equality and the empowerment of women.

The Commission on the Status of Women continues to stand as a symbol of multilateral cooperation at a time when such collaboration is increasingly important. It offers renewed commitment to gender equality and women’s rights, recognised as a major accelerator for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and the 2030 Agenda.

For 70 years, the Commission has guided global efforts aimed at addressing inequalities, violence against women, conflicts, emerging technologies, climate change, food insecurity, financing challenges, democratic erosion, and other pressing issues.

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