UAE Secures Fifth Position Globally For Women Representation In Parliament, IPU Report Reveals

The United Arab Emirates has achieved a notable position in the global ranking for women's representation in parliament, according to the Inter-Parliamentary Union's (IPU) 'Women in Parliament 2023' report. This comprehensive analysis, which surveyed parliamentary renewals across 66 chambers in 52 countries throughout 2023, places the UAE fifth worldwide, highlighting its commitment to gender parity in legislative bodies.

Rwanda leads the IPU world ranking, with women holding 61.3% of seats in its Chamber of Deputies. Following closely are Cuba and Nicaragua, with women comprising 55.7% and 53.9% of parliamentary seats, respectively. The report also acknowledges Andorra, Mexico, and the UAE for achieving gender parity in their legislative chambers.

Overall, women accounted for 27.6% of members of parliament (MPs) in the newly elected or appointed chambers analyzed in the report, marking an increase of 1.4 percentage points from previous elections in these countries. This growth reflects a continuing trend towards greater female representation in politics, albeit at a slower pace compared to the increases observed in 2020 and 2021.

The global proportion of female MPs has risen slightly to 26.9%, based on the elections and appointments that occurred in 2023. This represents a year-on-year increase of 0.4 percentage points, mirroring the growth rate seen in 2022.

The report underscores that gender issues were a central theme in many elections, amidst a backdrop of resistance against women's rights in certain regions. It also notes the departure of several prominent female politicians from the political arena, attributing these exits to burnout and threats.

In the Americas, women constituted 42.5% of all MPs elected or appointed in chambers renewed in 2023, maintaining its status as the region with the highest representation of women at 35.1%. Additionally, the global share of women serving as Speakers of parliament has increased to 23.8%, up by 1.1 percentage points, with Cambodia and Côte d’Ivoire electing female Speakers for the first time.

Quotas have played a crucial role in enhancing women's representation, with chambers that implemented some form of quotas electing an average of 28.8% female MPs, compared to 23.2% in countries without such measures. Sub-Saharan Africa experienced the most significant regional improvement, with an increase of 3.9 percentage points in its 2023 elections over previous ballots, largely due to quotas facilitating gains in countries like Benin, Eswatini, and Sierra Leone.

This analysis by the IPU sheds light on the gradual but steady progress towards gender parity in parliaments worldwide. While challenges remain, the implementation of well-designed quotas and a growing recognition of the importance of female representation are driving positive change across many regions.

With inputs from WAM