Parliament representation, labour market participation, and the long road to voting rights
World Parliament Snapshot
27.5% of Seats Are Held by Women
If the world had one parliament of 400 seats, this is what it would look like
Women (110 seats)
Men (290 seats)
27.5%
Women in Parliament
Global average, Jan 2026
48.8%
Female Labour Force
Participation rate (15+)
7
Countries at Parity
50%+ women in parliament
22.4%
Women Cabinet Ministers
Leading policy areas
Top Countries
Countries Leading in Women's Representation
Parliament seats held by women as of January 2026
Labour Market
Women's Labour Force Participation by Region
Female participation rate (% of female population ages 15+), ILO modeled estimates
The global gender gap in labour participation stands at 24.1 percentage points. Despite nearly 320 million women joining the labour market in the past 20 years, women still account for just 40.2% of the global workforce. Sub Saharan Africa and East Asia lead in female participation, while the Middle East and North Africa lag significantly behind.
Voting Rights Timeline
When Women Won the Right to Vote
Selected milestones in women's suffrage worldwide
Historical Progress
Women in Parliament Over Time
Global average percentage of women in national parliaments
At the current pace of 0.3 percentage points per year, gender parity in parliaments won't be reached for another 75 years. Quota systems have proven effective: chambers with legislated or voluntary quotas elected an average of 30.9% women in 2025, compared with 23.3% in chambers without quotas.