AM Buita | March 7, 2020

In the world where women are still struggling for equality, three countries went out and voted more women than men at least in terms of legislation. According to the Inter-Parliamentary Union, women occupy 61.25% and 53.08% of the parliamentary seats in the lower chambers of Rwanda and Bolivia, respectively, and 53.22% in the single-chamber legislative branch of Cuba.

United Arab Emirates ranked four as voters awarded to women half of the seats in the single-chamber parliament .

Others that made it to top ten in terms of the percentage of women members in the parliament are Mexico with 48.2%, Nicaragua with 47.25%, Sweden with 46.99%, Grenada with 46.67%, Andorra with 46.43% and South Africa with 46.35%.

At the bottom of the list are Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea and Micronesia which parliaments are all males. The three countries all ranked 189.

Erithrea and Sudan were not included as elections in these countries were suspended.

The ranking per country as of January 2020 is presented below.

Rank	Country	Lower or single House		Upper chamber
		Elections	Seats*	Women	% W	Elections	Seats*	Women	% W
1	Rwanda	09.2018	80	49	61.25	09.2019	26	10	38.46
2	Cuba	03.2018	605	322	53.22	–	–	–	–
3	Bolivia (Plurinational State of)	10.2019	130	69	53.08	10.2019	36	17	47.22
4	United Arab Emirates	10.2019	40	20	50	–	–	–	–
5	Mexico	07.2018	500	241	48.2	07.2018	128	63	49.22
6	Nicaragua	11.2016	91	43	47.25	–	–	–	–
7	Sweden	09.2018	349	164	46.99	–	–	–	–
8	Grenada	03.2018	15	7	46.67	04.2018	13	4	30.77
9	Andorra	04.2019	28	13	46.43	–	–	–	–
10	South Africa	05.2019	397	184	46.35	05.2019	54	21	38.89
11	Finland	04.2019	200	92	46	–	–	–	–
12	Costa Rica	02.2018	57	26	45.61	–	–	–	–
13	Spain	11.2019	350	154	44	11.2019	264	103	39.02
14	Senegal	07.2017	165	71	43.03	–	–	–	–
15	Namibia	11.2019	96	41	42.71	12.2015	42	8	19.05
16	Switzerland	10.2019	200	83	41.5	11.2019	46	12	26.09
17	Norway	09.2017	169	70	41.42	–	–	–	–
18	Mozambique	10.2019	250	103	41.2	–	–	–	–
19	Argentina	10.2019	257	105	40.86	10.2019	72	29	40.28
20	New Zealand	09.2017	120	49	40.83	–	–	–	–
21	Belgium	05.2019	150	61	40.67	07.2019	60	27	45
22	Belarus	11.2019	110	44	40	11.2019	60	15	25
“	North Macedonia	12.2016	120	48	40	–	–	–	–
“	Portugal	10.2019	230	92	40	–	–	–	–
25	Denmark	06.2019	179	71	39.66	–	–	–	–
26	France	06.2017	577	228	39.51	09.2017	348	116	33.33
27	Ecuador	02.2017	137	54	39.42	–	–	–	–
28	Austria	09.2019	183	72	39.34	–	61	23	37.7
29	Ethiopia	05.2015	547	212	38.76	10.2015	153	49	32.03
30	Timor-Leste	05.2018	65	25	38.46	–	–	–	–
31	Dominica	12.2019	21	8	38.1	–	–	–	–
“	Iceland	10.2017	63	24	38.1	–	–	–	–
33	Serbia	04.2016	247	93	37.65	–	–	–	–
34	United Republic of Tanzania	10.2015	393	145	36.9	–	–	–	–
35	Burundi	06.2015	121	44	36.36	07.2015	39	18	46.15
36	Italy	03.2018	630	225	35.71	03.2018	320	110	34.38
37	Uganda	02.2016	459	160	34.86	–	–	–	–
38	Guyana	05.2015	69	24	34.78	–	–	–	–
39	United Kingdom	12.2019	650	220	33.85	–	795	216	27.17
40	El Salvador	03.2018	84	28	33.33	–	–	–	–
“	Monaco	02.2018	24	8	33.33	–	–	–	–
“	Netherlands	03.2017	150	50	33.33	05.2019	75	29	38.67
43	Nepal	12.2017	275	90	32.73	02.2018	59	22	37.29
44	Uzbekistan	01.2015	150	48	32	01.2015	100	17	17
45	Zimbabwe	07.2018	270	86	31.85	07.2018	80	35	43.75
46	San Marino	12.2019	60	19	31.67	–	–	–	–
47	Suriname	05.2015	51	16	31.37	–	–	–	–
48	Germany	09.2017	709	221	31.17	–	69	25	36.23
49	Cameroon	09.2013	180	56	31.11	03.2018	100	26	26
50	Trinidad and Tobago	09.2015	42	13	30.95	09.2015	31	12	38.71
51	Australia	05.2019	151	46	30.46	05.2019	76	37	48.68
52	Angola	08.2017	220	66	30	–	–	–	–
“	Latvia	10.2018	100	30	30	–	–	–	–
“	Luxembourg	10.2018	60	18	30	–	–	–	–
“	Peru	04.2016	130	39	30	–	–	–	–
56	Montenegro	10.2016	81	24	29.63	–	–	–	–
57	Albania	06.2017	122	36	29.51	–	–	–	–
58	Canada	10.2019	338	98	28.99	–	99	48	48.48
59	Estonia	03.2019	101	29	28.71	–	–	–	–
60	Poland	10.2019	460	132	28.7	10.2019	100	24	24
61	South Sudan	08.2016	383	109	28.46	08.2011	50	6	12
62	Philippines	05.2019	304	85	27.96	05.2019	24	7	29.17
63	Dominican Republic	05.2016	190	53	27.89	05.2016	32	3	9.38
64	Slovenia	06.2018	90	25	27.78	11.2017	40	4	10
65	Lao People’s Democratic Republic	03.2016	149	41	27.52	–	–	–	–
66	Kazakhstan	03.2016	107	29	27.1	06.2017	47	5	10.64
67	Afghanistan	10.2018	248	67	27.02	01.2015	68	19	27.94
68	Viet Nam	05.2016	494	132	26.72	–	–	–	–
69	Bulgaria	03.2017	240	64	26.67	–	–	–	–
70	Iraq	05.2018	329	87	26.44	–	–	–	–
71	Djibouti	02.2018	65	17	26.15	–	–	–	–
72	Algeria	05.2017	462	119	25.76	12.2018	132	9	6.82
73	Cabo Verde	03.2016	72	18	25	–	–	–	–
“	Turkmenistan	03.2018	124	31	25	–	–	–	–
75	China	03.2018	2975	742	24.94	–	–	–	–
76	Tunisia	10.2019	217	54	24.88	–	–	–	–
77	Republic of Moldova	02.2019	101	25	24.75	–	–	–	–
78	Somalia	02.2017	275	67	24.36	02.2017	54	13	24.07
79	Lithuania	10.2016	141	34	24.11	–	–	–	–
80	Singapore	09.2015	100	24	24	–	–	–	–
81	Armenia	12.2018	132	31	23.48	–	–	–	–
82	United States of America	11.2018	431	101	23.43	11.2018	100	25	25
83	Israel	09.2019	120	28	23.33	–	–	–	–
“	Lesotho	06.2017	120	28	23.33	07.2017	32	7	21.88
85	Malawi	05.2019	192	44	22.92	–	–	–	–
86	Guinea	09.2013	114	26	22.81	–	–	–	–
87	Chile	11.2017	155	35	22.58	11.2017	43	10	23.26
88	Panama	05.2019	71	16	22.54	–	–	–	–
89	Czech Republic	10.2017	200	45	22.5	10.2018	81	12	14.81
90	Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)	12.2015	167	37	22.16	–	–	–	–
91	Romania	12.2016	329	72	21.88	12.2016	136	20	14.71
92	Kenya	08.2017	349	76	21.78	08.2017	68	21	30.88
93	Bosnia and Herzegovina	10.2018	42	9	21.43	02.2019	15	3	20
94	Seychelles	09.2016	33	7	21.21	–	–	–	–
“	Uruguay	10.2019	99	21	21.21	10.2019	31	9	29.03
96	Honduras	11.2017	128	27	21.09	–	–	–	–
97	Equatorial Guinea	11.2017	100	21	21	11.2017	72	12	16.67
98	Bangladesh	12.2018	349	73	20.92	–	–	–	–
99	Ireland	02.2016	158	33	20.89	04.2016	60	19	31.67
100	Ukraine	07.2019	423	88	20.8	–	–	–	–
101	Greece	07.2019	300	62	20.67	–	–	–	–
“	Slovakia	03.2016	150	31	20.67	–	–	–	–
103	Morocco	10.2016	395	81	20.51	10.2015	120	14	11.67
104	Indonesia	04.2019	575	117	20.35	–	–	–	–
105	Mauritania	09.2018	153	31	20.26	–	–	–	–
106	Pakistan	07.2018	342	69	20.18	03.2018	104	20	19.23
107	Barbados	05.2018	30	6	20	06.2018	21	9	42.86
“	Cambodia	07.2018	125	25	20	02.2018	62	10	16.13
“	Mauritius	11.2019	70	14	20	–	–	–	–
“	Saint Kitts and Nevis	02.2015	15	3	20	–	–	–	–
111	Saudi Arabia	12.2016	151	30	19.87	–	–	–	–
112	Cyprus	05.2016	56	11	19.64	–	–	–	–
113	Fiji	11.2018	51	10	19.61	–	–	–	–
114	Croatia	09.2016	151	29	19.21	–	–	–	–
115	Kyrgyzstan	10.2015	120	23	19.17	–	–	–	–
116	Tajikistan	03.2015	63	12	19.05	03.2015	32	7	21.88
117	Guatemala	06.2019	158	30	18.99	–	–	–	–
118	Togo	12.2018	91	17	18.68	–	–	–	–
119	Colombia	03.2018	169	31	18.34	03.2018	106	23	21.7
120	Democratic People’s Republic of Korea	03.2019	687	121	17.61	–	–	–	–
121	Jamaica	02.2016	63	11	17.46	03.2016	21	5	23.81
122	Mongolia	06.2016	75	13	17.33	–	–	–	–
123	Turkey	06.2018	589	102	17.32	–	–	–	–
124	Republic of Korea	04.2016	295	51	17.29	–	–	–	–
125	Niger	02.2016	171	29	16.96	–	–	–	–
126	Azerbaijan	11.2015	119	20	16.81	–	–	–	–
127	Zambia	08.2016	167	28	16.77	–	–	–	–
128	Saint Lucia	06.2016	18	3	16.67	07.2016	11	3	27.27
129	Paraguay	04.2018	80	13	16.25	04.2018	45	9	20
130	Thailand	03.2019	500	81	16.2	05.2019	250	26	10.4
131	Libya	06.2014	188	30	15.96	–	–	–	–
132	Madagascar	05.2019	151	24	15.89	12.2015	62	12	19.35
133	Russian Federation	09.2016	450	71	15.78	–	170	29	17.06
134	Chad	05.2011	162	25	15.43	–	–	–	–
135	Jordan	09.2016	130	20	15.38	09.2016	65	10	15.38
136	Egypt	12.2015	596	90	15.1	–	–	–	–
137	Bahrain	12.2018	40	6	15	12.2018	40	9	22.5
138	Bhutan	10.2018	47	7	14.89	04.2018	25	4	16
139	Gabon	10.2018	142	21	14.79	12.2014	100	18	18
140	Brazil	10.2018	513	75	14.62	10.2018	81	11	13.58
141	Sao Tome and Principe	10.2018	55	8	14.55	–	–	–	–
142	Malaysia	05.2018	222	32	14.41	–	68	13	19.12
143	India	05.2019	543	78	14.36	07.2018	240	25	10.42
144	Georgia	10.2016	149	21	14.09	–	–	–	–
145	Guinea-Bissau	03.2019	102	14	13.73	–	–	–	–
146	Malta	06.2017	67	9	13.43	–	–	–	–
147	Burkina Faso	11.2015	127	17	13.39	–	–	–	–
148	Ghana	12.2016	275	36	13.09	–	–	–	–
149	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	12.2015	23	3	13.04	–	–	–	–
150	Bahamas	05.2017	39	5	12.82	05.2017	16	7	43.75
151	Democratic Republic of the Congo	03.2019	500	64	12.8	03.2019	109	23	21.1
152	Palau	11.2016	16	2	12.5	11.2016	13	2	15.38
153	Syrian Arab Republic	04.2016	250	31	12.4	–	–	–	–
154	Liberia	10.2017	73	9	12.33	12.2014	30	1	3.33
“	Sierra Leone	03.2018	146	18	12.33	–	–	–	–
156	Hungary	04.2018	199	24	12.06	–	–	–	–
157	Liechtenstein	02.2017	25	3	12	–	–	–	–
158	Côte d’Ivoire	12.2016	251	30	11.95	03.2018	99	19	19.19
159	Congo	07.2017	151	17	11.26	08.2017	69	13	18.84
160	Antigua and Barbuda	03.2018	18	2	11.11	03.2018	17	9	52.94
“	Myanmar	11.2015	432	48	11.11	11.2015	223	27	12.11
162	Botswana	10.2019	65	7	10.77	–	–	–	–
163	Nauru	08.2019	19	2	10.53	–	–	–	–
164	Samoa	03.2016	50	5	10	–	–	–	–
165	Japan	10.2017	464	46	9.91	07.2019	245	56	22.86
166	Qatar	06.2016	41	4	9.76	–	–	–	–
167	Eswatini	09.2018	73	7	9.59	10.2018	30	10	33.33
168	Mali	12.2013	147	14	9.52	–	–	–	–
169	Belize	11.2015	32	3	9.38	11.2015	14	3	21.43
170	Brunei Darussalam	01.2017	33	3	9.09	–	–	–	–
171	Gambia (The)	04.2017	58	5	8.62	–	–	–	–
172	Central African Republic	03.2016	140	12	8.57	–	–	–	–
173	Tonga	11.2017	27	2	7.41	–	–	–	–
174	Benin	04.2019	83	6	7.23	–	–	–	–
175	Kiribati	01.2016	46	3	6.52	–	–	–	–
176	Kuwait	11.2016	63	4	6.35	–	–	–	–
177	Tuvalu	09.2019	16	1	6.25	–	–	–	–
178	Solomon Islands	04.2019	49	3	6.12	–	–	–	–
179	Comoros	02.2015	33	2	6.06	–	–	–	–
“	Marshall Islands	11.2019	33	2	6.06	–	–	–	–
181	Iran (Islamic Republic of)	04.2016	289	17	5.88	–	–	–	–
182	Sri Lanka	08.2015	225	12	5.33	–	–	–	–
183	Lebanon	05.2018	128	6	4.69	–	–	–	–
184	Maldives	04.2019	87	4	4.6	–	–	–	–
185	Nigeria	02.2019	350	12	3.43	02.2019	109	8	7.34
186	Haiti	10.2015	118	3	2.54	01.2017	10	0	0
187	Oman	10.2019	86	2	2.33	11.2019	86	15	17.44
188	Yemen	04.2003	301	1	0.33	04.2001	111	3	2.7
189	Micronesia (Federated States of)	03.2019	14	0	0	–	–	–	–
“	Papua New Guinea	07.2017	111	0	0	–	–	–	–
“	Vanuatu	01.2016	52	0	0	–	–	–	–
	Eritrea	02.1994	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Suspended	Sudan	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–