Women in Women in Parliament The countries are ranked and colour-coded according to the percentage of women in unicameral parliaments or the lower house of parliament. Reflecting elections/appointments up to 1 January 2008. Ministerial Positions Rank Country Lower or single House Upper House or Senate The countries are ranked according to the percentage % W Women Seats % W Women Seats of women in ministerial positions.‡ Reflecting appointments up to 1 January 2008. 40 to 50.0% Rank Country % W Women Total 1 Rwanda 48.8 39 / 80 34.6 9 / 26 ministers 2 Sweden 47.0 164 / 349 — — / — 3 Finland 41.5 83 / 200 — — / — 50 to 60% 4 Argentina 40.0 102 / 255 38.9 28 / 72 1 Finland 57.9 11 / 19 35 to 39.9% 2 Norway 55.6 10 / 18 Women in Politics: 2008 5 Netherlands 39.3 59 / 150 34.7 26 / 75 3 Grenada 50.0 6 / 12 6 Denmark 38.0 68 / 179 — — / — 40 to 49.9% 7 Costa Rica 36.8 21 / 57 — — / — 4 Sweden 47.6 10 / 21 8 Spain 36.6 128 / 350 23.2 60 / 259 5 France 46.7 7 / 15 Situation on 1 January 2008 9 Norway 36.1 61 / 169 — — / — 6 South Africa 44.8 13 / 29 10 Cuba 36.0 219 / 609 — — / — 7 Spain 43.8 7 / 16 11 Belgium 35.3 53 / 150 38.0 27 / 71 8 Switzerland 42.9 3 / 7 30 to 34.9% 9 Chile 40.9 9 / 22 Without the active participation 35 to 39.9% 12 Mozambique 34.8 87 / 250 — — / — 13 Iceland 33.3 21 / 63 — — / — 10 El Salvador 38.9 7 / 18 of women and the incorporation 14 New Zealand 33.1 40 / 121 — — / — 11 Austria 38.5 5 / 13 15 South Africa * 33.0 132 / 400 40.7 22 / 54 12 Andorra 37.5 3 / 8 of women’s perspective 16 Austria 32.8 60 / 183 24.6 15 / 61 13 Denmark 36.8 7 / 19 17 Germany 31.6 194 / 613 21.7 15 / 69 14 Iceland 36.4 4 / 11 18 Uganda 30.7 102 / 332 — — / — ” Trinidad and Tobago* 36.4 8 / 22 at all levels of decision-making, 19 Burundi 30.5 36 / 118 34.7 17 / 49 15 Cape Verde 35.7 5 / 14 20 United Republic of Tanzania 30.4 97 / 319 — — / — 16 Ecuador 35.3 12 / 34 the goals of equality, 25 to 29.9% 30 to 34.9% Greenland Alaska 21 Peru 29.2 35 / 120 — — / — 17 Germany 33.3 5 / 15 (Denmark) development and peace ” Netherlands 33.3 5 / 15 (U.S.A.) ” The F.Y.R. of Macedonia 29.2 35 / 120 — — / — ” Nicaragua 33.3 4 / 12 cannot be achieved. ” Timor-Leste 29.2 19 / 65 — — / — 18 New Zealand 32.1 9 / 28 22 Belarus 29.1 32 / 110 31.0 18 / 58 19 Lesotho* 31.6 6 / 19 Beijing Platform for Action, 23 Guyana 29.0 20 / 69 — — / — 25 to 29.9% 24 Andorra 28.6 8 / 28 — — / — Fourth World Conference on Women, 1995 25 Switzerland 28.5 57 / 200 21.7 10 / 46 20 Burundi 29.6 8 / 27 Norway 26 Portugal 28.3 65 / 230 — — / — 21 Costa Rica 29.4 5 / 17 27 Afghanistan 27.7 67 / 242 21.6 22 / 102 ” Peru 29.4 5 / 17 Sweden Russian Federation Latvia 28 Namibia 26.9 21 / 78 26.9 7 / 26 22 Uruguay 28.6 4 / 14 Estonia 29 Trinidad and Tobago 26.8 11 / 41 41.9 13 / 31 23 Uganda 28.0 7 / 25 Lithuania Canada Iceland Belarus 30 Australia 26.7 40 / 150 35.5 27 / 76 24 Barbados 27.8 5 / 18 Liechtenstein ” Grenada 26.7 4 / 15 30.8 4 / 13 ” Botswana 27.8 5 / 18 Czech Rep. 31 Viet Nam 25.8 127 / 493 — — / — ” Gambia* 27.8 5 / 18 Austria Denmark Finland 32 Kyrgyzstan 25.6 23 / 90 — — / — 25 Guyana 26.3 5 / 19 Slovakia 33 Iraq 25.5 70 / 275 — — / — ” Poland 26.3 5 / 19 ” Suriname 25.5 13 / 51 — — / — 26 Mozambique 25.9 7 / 27 Slovenia 34 Lao People’s Democratic Republic 25.2 29 / 115 — — / — 27 Niger 25.8 8 / 31 Ukraine 35 Ecuador 25.0 25 / 100 — — / — 28 Guinea-Bissau* 25.0 5 / 20 United Kingdom ” Namibia 25.0 6 / 24 Netherlands Hungary 20 to 24.9% ” Saõ Tomé and Principe 25.0 3 / 12 Croatia 36 Singapore 24.5 23 / 94 — — / — ” Timor-Leste* 25.0 3 / 12 Ireland Bosnia and Herzegovina 37 Liechtenstein 24.0 6 / 25 — — / — 20 to 24.9% Belgium 38 Lesotho 23.5 28 / 119 29.0 9 / 31 29 Australia 24.1 7 / 29 Poland Rep. of Moldova Kazakhstan ” Seychelles 23.5 8 / 34 — — / — 30 Italy 24.0 6 / 25 Luxembourg 39 Honduras 23.4 30 / 128 — — / — Pacific Ocean Germany Romania 40 Luxembourg 23.3 14 / 60 — — / — 31 Malawi 23.8 5 / 21 Georgia ” United States of America 23.8 5 / 21 Serbia Mongolia 41 Mexico 23.2 116 / 500 18.0 23 / 128 32 Bolivia 23.5 4 / 17 Armenia 42 Tunisia 22.8 43 / 189 15.3 17 / 111 France Montenegro 43 Lithuania 22.7 32 / 141 — — / — ” Bulgaria 23.5 4 / 17 Azerbaijan ” Croatia 23.5 4 / 17 Switzerland 44 United Arab Emirates 22.5 9 / 40 — — / — 33 Argentina 23.1 3 / 13 Bulgaria 45 Mauritania 22.1 21 / 95 16.1 9 / 56 ” Belgium 23.1 3 / 13 Italy Uzbekistan Japan 46 Eritrea 22.0 33 / 150 — — / — ” Colombia 23.1 3 / 13 United States of America ” Senegal 22.0 33 / 150 40.0 40 / 100 Monaco T.F.Y.R. of Macedonia Dem. People’s Rep. of Korea 47 Ethiopia 21.9 116 / 529 18.8 21 / 112 ” Estonia 23.1 3 / 13 Kyrgyzstan ” Lithuania 23.1 3 / 13 San Marino Republic of Korea 48 Republic of Moldova 21.8 22 / 101 — — / — ” Mali 23.1 6 / 26 Spain Albania Turkmenistan Tajikistan 49 Bulgaria 21.7 52 / 240 — — / — ” Panama 23.1 3 / 13 50 Canada 21.3 65 / 305 34.4 32 / 93 ” Samoa 23.1 3 / 13 Andorra Greece Jammu and Kashmir * China 51 Pakistan 21.1 72 / 342 17.0 17 / 100 34 Nigeria 22.7 5 / 22 Turkey 52 Croatia 20.9 32 / 153 — — / — ” United Kingdom 22.7 5 / 22 Bahamas 53 Estonia 20.8 21 / 101 — — / — Gibraltar (U.K.) Cyprus ” Monaco 20.8 5 / 24 — — / — 35 Benin 22.2 6 / 27 Cuba Portugal Islamic Rep. of Iran ” Latvia 22.2 4 / 18 Malta Afghanistan 54 China 20.6 611 /2963 — — / — 36 Dominica* 21.4 3 / 14 Jamaica Lebanon 55 Philippines 20.5 49 / 239 17.4 4 / 23 ” Hungary 21.4 3 / 14 Tunisia Iraq Syrian Arab Rep. 56 Poland 20.4 94 / 460 8.0 8 / 100 Haiti Morocco Israel Bhutan ” Serbia 20.4 51 / 250 — — / — ” Ireland 21.4 3 / 14 a a ” Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 21.4 3 / 14 Dominican Rep. 57 Democratic People’s Rep. of Korea 20.1 138 / 687 — — / — ” Venezuela 21.4 6 / 28 58 Latvia 20.0 20 / 100 — — / — 37 United Republic of Tanzania 20.7 6 / 29 Pakistan Nepal 15 to 19.9% Mexico Algeria Libyan Arab 38 Liberia 20.0 4 / 20 59 Dominican Republic 19.7 35 / 178 3.1 1 / 32 ” Liechtenstein 20.0 1 / 5 Jamahiriya Egypt 60 Cambodia 19.5 24 / 123 14.8 9 / 61 ” Mongolia 20.0 3 / 15 Western Sahara Kuwait Lao People’s Dem. Rep. ” United Kingdom 19.5 126 / 646 19.7 148 / 750 ” Nepal 20.0 6 / 30 61 Guinea 19.3 22 / 114 — — / — ” San Marino 20.0 2 / 10 Bahrain India Viet Nam ” Slovakia 19.3 29 / 150 — — / — ” Seychelles 20.0 2 / 10 Cape Verde Saudi Thailand 62 Venezuela 18.6 31 / 167 — — / — 15 to 19.9% Saint Kitts and Nevis Arabia Qatar 63 Nicaragua 18.5 17 / 92 — — / — 39 Morocco 19.2 5 / 26 Cambodia 64 France 18.2 105 / 577 18.2 60 / 330 40 Paraguay 18.9 7 / 37 Antigua and Barbuda Mauritania United Arab Belize Bangladesh Philippines ” Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 18.2 4 / 22 — — / — 41 Cuba 18.8 6 / 32 Dominica Mali Niger Emirates 65 Cape Verde 18.1 13 / 72 — — / — ” Kyrgyzstan* 18.8 3 / 16 Guatemala Myanmar ” Sudan 18.1 80 / 443 6.0 3 / 50 ” Swaziland 18.8 3 / 16 Saint Lucia Oman Honduras Yemen Micronesia 66 Equatorial Guinea 18.0 18 / 100 — — / — 42 Belize* 18.2 2 / 11 Chad 67 Tajikistan 17.5 11 / 63 23.5 8 / 34 ” Cyprus 18.2 2 / 11 St. Vincent and the Grenadines Jordan (Fed. States of) El Salvador Senegal Sudan ” Uzbekistan 17.5 21 / 120 15.0 15 / 100 43 Senegal 17.9 5 / 28 Trinidad and Tobago Burkina Eritrea Palau 68 Italy 17.3 109 / 630 14.0 45 / 322 44 Eritrea* 17.6 3 / 17 Nicaragua Grenada Gambia Marshall Islands Faso Djibouti ” Nepal 17.3 57 / 329 — — / — ” Georgia* 17.6 3 / 17 Costa Rica 69 Mauritius 17.1 12 / 70 — — / — ” Slovenia 17.6 3 / 17 Barbados Guinea-Bissau Nigeria 70 Bolivia 16.9 22 / 130 3.7 1 / 27 45 Chad 17.2 5 / 29 Panama Guinea 71 United States of America 16.8 73 / 435 16.0 16 / 100 46 Gabon 16.7 7 / 42 Venezuela Guyana Ethiopia Sri Lanka Brunei 72 El Salvador 16.7 14 / 84 — — / — Sierra Leone Central ” Rwanda 16.7 3 / 18 Suriname African Rep. Darussalam ” Gabon 16.7 20 / 120 15.4 14 / 91 ” Serbia 16.7 4 / 24 Liberia ” Panama 16.7 13 / 78 — — / — ” Suriname 16.7 3 / 18 French Guiana 73 Dominica 16.1 5 / 31 — — / — ” Zambia 16.7 4 / 24 Colombia Ghana Somalia 74 Turkmenistan 16.0 8 / 50 — — / — 47 Zimbabwe 16.3 7 / 43 Benin Malaysia ” Zimbabwe 16.0 24 / 150 36.4 24 / 66 Togo Nauru Kiribati 48 Canada 16.0 4 / 25 Cameroon 75 Kazakhstan 15.9 17 / 107 4.3 2 / 47 49 Ghana 15.9 7 / 44 Kenya Maldives 76 Czech Republic 15.5 31 / 200 13.6 11 / 81 50 Guinea* 15.8 3 / 19 Côte d’Ivoire Democratic Papua New Guinea 77 Burkina Faso 15.3 17 / 111 — — / — ” Mexico 15.8 3 / 19 Republic of 78 Zambia 15.2 24 / 158 — — / — 51 Malta 15.4 2 / 13 Ecuador São Tomé and Principe 79 Angola 15.0 33 / 220 — — / — 10 to 14.9% Equatorial Guinea the Congo Uganda ” Chile 15.0 18 / 120 5.3 2 / 38 52 Jordan 14.8 4 / 27 Tuvalu 10 to 14.9% 53 Dominican Republic 14,5 3 / 21 Gabon Seychelles United Rep.