What is the context?
In the middle of a year with many elections, there are few gains for women in power
- In some countries, promises on gender equality are not kept
- On average, women make up just over a quarter of parliaments worldwide
- Experts: Underrepresentation leads to democratic deficit
BRUSSELS – The year 2024 is considered the “greatest test for democracy” and is a key election year in which billions of citizens will cast their votes. But in some parts of the world, the commitment to gender equality in politics is not being kept.
While there were historic moments such as the election of Claudia Sheinbaum, Mexico’s first female president, in June or Kamala Harris’ bid to become the first female president of the United States, elections in Indonesia, India, the United Kingdom, Pakistan and South Africa did not feature any female front-runners.
The situation is not much better in the world’s parliaments. According to the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), an independent organization promoting democracy, the proportion of women in parliaments worldwide on June 1 was an average of 26.9 percent.
If things continue like this, according to the United Nations, it will take 130 years to achieve gender equality in the highest positions of power.
So why do so few women run for political office, why is this important and what is being done about it?
Which countries are leading the way and which are lagging behind?
Data shows that the proportion of women in political leadership positions in both government and parliament has improved over the past decade. However, in some regions, such as the Middle East and North Africa, this proportion remains far behind.
According to UN Women, a United Nations agency that promotes gender equality, Europe has the highest proportion of female politicians, followed by Africa, South America and the Caribbean.
The lowest levels of female representation were in Central and South Asia and the Pacific Islands, excluding Australia and New Zealand.
Exceptions in these regions are Rwanda, Cuba and Nicaragua, where there are more women than men in parliament. A notable breakthrough came in the UK after the general election in July, when women won 263 of the 650 seats, representing 40% of the members of parliament.
Men continue to dominate cabinet positions. According to UN data, only 23 percent of ministries worldwide are headed by women. Only 15 countries have gender-balanced cabinets: ten in Europe, three in Latin America and two in sub-Saharan Africa.
Slow progress at government level means that gender parity in cabinets will not be achieved before 2077, according to the UN.
Beyond the numbers, experts say the portfolios assigned to women are often limited to gender equality and family and children’s affairs, while they rarely take responsibility for defense or economic policy. This reflects the discriminatory gender roles in many societies, experts say.
Why do we need more women in politics?
According to political scientists, the underrepresentation of women in politics leads to a democratic deficit: half of the population is consistently underrepresented in positions of power.
They also say that women’s participation influences what issues are addressed, with women more likely to push for measures such as paid leave, child care and domestic violence prosecutions.
Gender equality activists say that increasing the number of women in positions of power could slowly change public opinion by breaking down negative gender stereotypes and creating role models that inspire young women to political activism.
What stops women from running for political office?
All over the world, women face many barriers to participation in politics, including unequal access to finance and political networks, greater family responsibilities, a male-dominated political culture and gender stereotypes.
Discrimination also takes the form of violence and threats that prevent many women from entering politics and force them to choose between professional ambitions and personal safety.
Female politicians have also been victims of abuse through new technologies, such as AI deepfake porn, where artificial intelligence can be used to remove clothing or create fake nude images. Such abuse is often aimed at undermining a politician’s credibility.
How can women’s participation be promoted?
The introduction of well-designed quotas plays an important role in improving women’s participation, says the IPU. More than 130 countries have amended their constitutions, laws or party statutes to require female candidates.
In 2023, the members of the Indian upper house guaranteed that 33 percent of the seats in the lower house and in the state assemblies would be reserved for women. They want to use this to improve gender equality in the centers of power. Implementation is expected by 2027.
Another structural change would mean a change in the electoral system. According to the IPU, the proportional representation system, in which parties or individuals receive seats based on the number of votes, leads to more female politicians than majority voting systems.
Heads of state and government can play a major role by assembling gender-balanced cabinets and giving women portfolios in various policy areas.
In Finland, women head the Justice and Foreign Ministries, while in Spain women head the Finance and Defense Ministries. Britain appointed its first female Finance Minister, Rachel Reeves, after the July elections.
(Reporting by Joanna Gill; Editing by Ayla Jean Yackley.)
