Akm Sheabuddin Kisslu: Women remain vastly under-represented in political leadership across the world, with the most powerful decisions still overwhelmingly made by men, the Inter-Parliamentary Union and UN Women says. And Women in politics face rising hostility and intimidation from the public, both online and offline. Even when women reach leadership positions, they are often concentrated in a narrow range of portfolios traditionally linked to social sectors.
“At a time of growing global instability, escalating conflicts and a visible backlash against women’s rights, shutting women out of political leadership weakens societies’ ability to respond to the challenges they face,” said UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous.
“Women bring perspectives and experience that are essential for making better decisions, preventing conflict and building lasting peace. When women are fully involved in political leadership, countries are more stable, policies work better for people, and societies are better prepared to face the crises shaping our world today,” she added.
The “Women in politics: 2026” map, prepared by the Inter-Parliamentary Union and UN Women, presents the latest data on women’s representation in executive positions and national parliaments as at 1 January 2026. In 2026 only 28 countries are led by a woman Head of State or Government, while 101 countries have never had a woman leader according to the latest data released by Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and UN Women. The Data shows, Women remain far from equal political power, holding just 22.4 per cent of cabinet posts and 27.5 per cent of parliamentary seats globally, down from 23.3 per cent in 2024, marking a reversal after years of gradual progress.
The future of democracy will be stronger, fairer, and more resilient when women are equally represented in decision-making at all levels the IPU and UN women says.
“Men and women must work together as equal partners to transform political culture, challenge stereotypes, and build inclusive parliaments that reflect the people they represent,” said IPU Secretary General Martin Chungong.
The new global data reveals stagnation in some cases regression in women’s political leadership, particularly in executive government. When women are shut out of political leadership, decisions that shape peace, security, and economic priorities are made without half of the world’s experience at the table.
“Parity is a moral imperative, because women have an equal right to shape the decisions that govern their lives. But it is also the smart thing to do. Institutions make better decisions when they reflect the societies they serve. They are better able to identify bias, design fairer responses, and earn public trust when women from all backgrounds are present, and influential, at every level” IPU President Tulia Ackson said,
Key findings by IPU and UN Women says, only 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, according to the data.
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.
Women are 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 data shows.
Men continue to lead almost exclusively ministries like defense, home affairs, justice, economic affairs, governance, health, and education. The data shows, Women lead 90 per cent of gender-equality ministries and 73 percent of ministries responsible for family and children’s affairs, reinforcing long-standing gender stereotypes in political leadership.
Despite the slow pace of change, women around the world continue to push boundaries and assert their place in political life according to the released data. Removing structural barriers, including discriminatory laws, violence against women in politics, and unequal access to resources, as well as challenging negative social norms, will be critical to ensuring women’s equal political leadership in the years ahead.
This year’s 70th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women – the United Nations’ highest-level intergovernmental body that sets global standards for women’s rights and gender equality – is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reverse the rollback of women’s rights.
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