Only 1 in 7 countries led by women as men continue to dominate political power

SPECIAL REPORT | THE INDEPENDENT | Women remain vastly underrepresented in political leadership worldwide, according to the latest “Women in Politics: 2026” map, prepared by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and UN Women.

The findings reveal that men continue to dominate executive positions and parliamentary seats, with women far from achieving equal political representation. As of 1 January 2026, only 28 countries are led by a woman Head of State or Government, while 101 countries have never had a woman leader.

Globally, women make up 27.4% of members of parliament and 22.4% of cabinet ministers, reflecting a regression in women’s representation in executive positions over the past two years.

The report highlights a clear gendered division in political responsibilities. It notes that in the majority of countries, women’s portfolios are primarily concentrated in ministries linked to human rights, gender equality, family affairs, and social protection.

It further reveals that men’s portfolios predominantly include defense, home affairs, justice, economic policy, housing and infrastructure, governance, public affairs, health, and education. This distribution, according to the authors, reinforces traditional gender stereotypes, limiting women’s influence over key policy areas and decision-making processes. From the findings, while women have made modest gains in parliamentary representation, growth is slow.

Only 14 countries have achieved gender parity in cabinets, whereas eight countries have no women ministers at all. Women also face rising intimidation and hostility from the public, with 76% of female parliamentarians reporting experiences of intimidation, compared with 68% of men.

UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous emphasized, “Shutting women out of political leadership weakens societies’ ability to respond to global challenges. Women bring perspectives and experiences that are essential for better decisions, conflict prevention, and lasting peace.”

IPU President Tulia Ackson added, “Parity is both a moral imperative and the smart thing to do. Institutions make better decisions when they reflect the societies they serve.” IPU Secretary General Martin Chungong highlighted the importance of well-designed quotas and political will to accelerate change.

The 70th Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women offers a once-in-a-generation opportunity to advance gender equality in political leadership.

Experts stress that eliminating structural barriers, such as discriminatory laws, violence against women in politics, and unequal access to resources, is critical to ensuring women’s equal participation at all levels of governance.

“The future of democracy will be stronger, fairer, and more resilient when women are equally represented in decision-making at all levels,” Bahous said.

Key findings from the data released by IPU and UN Women include:

• Women hold just 22.4 per cent of cabinet minister positions globally, down from 23.3 per cent in 2024, marking a reversal after years of gradual progress.

• Fourteen countries have achieved gender parity in cabinets, demonstrating that equal representation is possible, yet eight countries still have no women ministers at all.

• Women hold 27.5 per cent of parliamentary seats worldwide, up slightly from 27.2 per cent in 2025. The increase of just 0.3 percentage points marks the second consecutive year of the slowest growth recorded since 2017, highlighting how slowly women are advancing in political decision-making power.

• Women are also losing ground in parliamentary leadership. As of January 2026, 54 women serve as Speakers of Parliament globally, representing 19.9 per cent of all Speakers. This represents a nearly four-percentage-point decline from the previous year and the first drop in women Speakers in 21 years.

• Women in politics face rising hostility and intimidation from the public, both online and offline. Seventy-six per cent of women parliamentarians surveyed report experiencing intimidation by the public, compared with 68 per cent of men – a trend that deters women from seeking office and slows progress toward equal political power.

• Even when women reach leadership positions, they are often concentrated in a narrow range of portfolios traditionally linked to social sectors.

• Women lead 90 per cent of gender-equality ministries and 73 per cent of ministries responsible for family and children’s affairs, reinforcing long-standing gender stereotypes in political leadership. Men continue to lead almost exclusively ministries like defense, home affairs, justice, economic affairs, governance, health, and education

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