Top 10 Countries with the Highest Female Representation in Parliament 2023: Is Indonesia Included?

The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) has listed several countries with the highest representation of women in parliament as of July 2023.

Rwanda ranks first, with women holding 61.3% of seats in the lower house of parliament in July 2023. Of the 80 seats in the general parliament, 49 are held by women.

Second is Cuba, with a 55.7% proportion. Cuba has 470 seats in its general parliament, with 262 held by women.

Third is Nicaragua, with 51.7%. This country has 91 general seats, 47 of which are held by women.

Following these are Andorra, Mexico, New Zealand, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), each with 50% female representation in their respective parliaments.

What about Indonesia?

Unfortunately, Indonesia is not in the top 10. It ranks 108th, with only 21.6% female representation. Of the 575 seats in the DPR (House of Representatives), only 124 are held by women.

Although these figures are from the lower house of parliament, this level of representation can still exert considerable political influence.

The World Bank even notes that gender representation in parliament is still far from being realized. Without representation at this level, it is difficult for women to influence policy.

"Strong and vibrant democracies are only possible when parliaments fully represent the populations they serve," the World Bank writes on its website.

The World Bank also believes that parliaments cannot consider themselves inclusive until they embrace the full participation of women. This is not just about women's right to equality and their contribution to public affairs.

"But it is also about leveraging women's resources and potential to shape political and development priorities that benefit society and the global community," says the World Bank.

The IPU states that the data in this table is sourced from each parliament included in the survey.

The number of seats inputted corresponds to the election time or period. The ranking may change based on updates received by the IPU from national parliaments.

(See also: [Inilah Negara dengan Proporsi Populasi Perempuan Terbanyak Dunia 2022](https://databoks.katadata.co.id/index.php/datapublish/2023/08/01/inilah-negara-dengan-proporsi-populasi-perempuan-terbanyak-dunia-2022))