The U.A.E. Has The World’s Third Highest Percentage Of Women In National Parliament
In a historic first, the proportion of women parliamentarians worldwide hit over 25% last year.
In a historic first, the proportion of women parliamentarians worldwide hit over 25% last year.
The first country globally to introduce a gender quota by law was Argentina in 1991. Since then, several countries have established different approaches with the same aim, either reserving seats for women or by political parties voluntarily adopting their own quotas. Here are the five countries with the highest share of women in the lower house of parliament as of June 2021, according to data from the Inter-Parliamentary Union data.
Rwanda
Share of women: 61.3% Rwanda boasts the best record for female representation in parliament, with nearly two-thirds of seats currently held by women. Quotas have had a big impact on the East African country's politics. In 2003, the constitution mandated that women held 30% of elected posts. After the 2008 elections, women made up 56% of parliament. The figure jumped to 64% after the 2013 elections.
Cuba
Share of women: 53.4% Cuba is one of only two countries from the Caribbean to appear in the
IPU's top 10 ranking, with Grenada at number eight.
U.A.E.
Share of women: 50% The U.A.E. has progressed significantly, jumping to 50% from 26.7% in 2017. This came as a result of President Sheikh Khalifa's decree calling for Emirati women to occupy half the parliamentary seats in 2018. One-third of the U.A.E.'s current federal cabinet members are also women.
Since 2010, the Arab nation has contributed more than $36 million to support achieving gender equality.
New Zealand
Share of women: 48.3% At 37, New Zealand's current Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, became the world's youngest female head of government in 2018. Nanaia Mahuta, an indigenous Maori woman, became the first female foreign minister in 2020.
Mexico
Share of women: 48.2% The year 2018 was dubbed the “Year of the Woman” in Mexico after 3,000 women ran in that year's election. Mexican women were given the vote in 1947 and were permitted to stand for office in 1953. The Latin American country elected six women as governors in the June elections 2021. Mexico City is governed by Claudia Sheinbaum who was elected to be Mayor in 2018.