Polity & Governance GS 2 In the news 10 times

Women's Political Representation

Global Context

The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) tracks women's representation in national parliaments globally. The global average as of 2025 stands at 26.9%. Regional averages vary significantly: Nordic countries lead globally (above 40%), while South Asia and the Arab world lag behind.

Key details

IPU's annual report (Women in Parliament: 1995-2025) shows a slow but steady global increase — from under 12% in 1995 to 26.9% in 2025.
Countries with quota laws consistently outperform those without: gender quotas are among the most reliable predictors of women's parliamentary representation.
Rwanda is a global outlier with over 61% women in its lower house — a product of post-genocide constitutional design and electoral quotas.
South Africa: ~46% women in parliament; UK: ~35%; US: ~29%; Nepal: ~34%; Bangladesh: ~21%; Pakistan: ~20%; India: ~14%; Sri Lanka: ~5%.
"Reserved seats" systems (as India is adopting) and "party-level candidate quotas" are two distinct mechanisms for improving representation.

In the news

● Tracked since March 08, 2026 · last seen April 18, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes

18 Apr '26

'Give women their rights, right now': Priyanka Gandhi demands immediate implementation of 2023 Women's Reservation bill