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 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |