2022 Stats: Only 13 Female Presidents and 15 Heads of Government worldwide…It’s not enough
The participation of women as politicians, leaders, and influential actors in political life is essential to achieving sustainable development. However, the data shows that women are underrepresented at all levels of decision-making around the world and that achieving gender equality in political life is still far-fetched, according to the latest reports and data for the year 2022, which were monitored globally in various countries, and on the official website of UN Women.
Many countries have raised the ceiling for formal governmental and parliamentary political representation. There are 28 countries in which 30 women serve as heads of state and government, only 13 countries have a female head of state, and 15 countries have a female head of government.
Moreover, only 14 countries have achieved 50% or more women in government, and barely 21% of government ministers are women; The five most common portfolios among female ministers are Family/Children/Youth/The Elderly/Disabled; followed by Social Affairs; Environment/Natural Resources/Energy; Employment/Labor/Vocational Training; and Women’s Affairs/Gender Equality.
Women make up only 26% of all national parliamentarians as of 2022, compared to 11% in 1995, where only five countries have 50 percent or more women in parliament in a single house (House of Representatives), Rwanda 61%, Cuba 53%, Nicaragua 51%, Mexico 50%, and finally the United Arab Emirates 50%.
Globally, there are 24 countries where women represent less than 10 percent of parliamentarians in a single house or lower house, including three individual/parliamentary assemblies with no women at all.
In Latin America and the Caribbean, Europe, and North America, women hold more than 30% of parliamentary seats.
According to the previous website, the data shows that out of 136 countries, women make up approximately 34% of the elected members of local deliberative bodies globally.
Another 20 countries have more than 40% of women in local government.
Central and South Asia 41%, Europe and North America 36%, Oceania 32%, East and Southeast Asia 28%, Latin America and the Caribbean 25%, Sub-Saharan Africa 25%, while West Asia and North Africa have 18% women in local government.
But is this enough?
According to the estimates of the United Nations for Women, by analyzing previous data and according to the Global Women’s Representation Index:
Gender equality will not be achieved in the highest positions of power for another 130 years. At an annual increase of only 0.52%, gender parity in ministerial positions will not be achieved before 2077.
