Power positions in politics 2025: Men maintain predominance
The latest IPU-UN Women "Women in Politics" map, presented during the 69th session of the Commission on the Status of Women, paints a mixed picture of progress towards gender equality in political leadership.
Despite historic firsts in 2024 with women Presidents in Mexico, Namibia, and North Macedonia, the report shows that 106 countries still have never had a female leader. The Middle East and North Africa region continues to lag behind, with the lowest proportion of women MPs (16.7%) and no women Speakers of Parliament.
The total number of women Speakers increased to 64 out of 270 positions, reaching 23.7%, but the proportion of women in parliament has only fractionally increased to 27.2%. However, the proportion in government positions has declined by 0.4%.
Europe comes second with 31.8% women MPs and 30.4% women Speakers, followed closely by the Americas with the highest proportion of women MPs (34.5%) and Speakers of Parliament (33.3%). Europe and North America, and Latin America and the Caribbean, have the highest shares of women cabinet ministers, while most other regions have significantly lower figures.
However, the allocation of ministerial portfolios continues to show a gender bias, with women primarily assigned to head policy areas concerning gender equality, human rights, and social affairs. Most influential policy areas remain largely controlled by men.
Tulia Ackson, IPU President, has expressed concern over the slow progress in women's parliamentary representation, and Sima Bahous, Executive Director of UN Women, stated that progress towards gender equality in political leadership remains unfulfilled. Martin Chungong, IPU Secretary General, emphasized the need for active participation and support from men to break down barriers for women in leadership roles.
The report also reveals significant regional disparities in parliamentary representation. As of 1 January 2025, women hold top State positions in just 25 countries, with Europe having the highest number (12). Only nine countries have achieved gender-equal cabinets, with 50% or more women holding cabinet positions as heads of ministries.
The proportion of women heading ministries decreased to 22.9%, with 64 countries seeing a decrease and another 63 stagnating. Women Deputy Speakers of Parliament now constitute 32.6% of the total.
The new data show more women at the helm of policy portfolios such as culture (35.4%), education (30.6%), and tourism (30.5%). The year 2025 marks the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, a UN framework for gender equality and women's rights.
The slowest progress towards greater women's representation since 2017, as shown in the IPU's annual "Women in parliament" report, underscores the need for concerted efforts to achieve gender equality in political leadership.
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