Top 10 Countries with the Highest Proportion of Women in Parliament

Women's representation in parliament is a crucial element for strengthening gender equality in national life.

However, as of January 2022, female members of parliament in single-house systems only reached 26% globally.

According to Inter-Parliamentary Union data, Rwanda ranked first as the country with the highest proportion of women in parliament, reaching 61.3% in January 2022.

Historically, the high proportion of women in the Rwandan parliament is linked to the 1994 genocide. The tragedy significantly reduced Rwanda's male population, leaving women comprising approximately 60-70% of the national population.

Rwanda was then forced to implement sweeping changes, opening up government positions to women. The country also established a rule mandating that women fill 30% of national political positions.

Following Rwanda, Cuba has the highest proportion of women in parliament with 53.4% representation. This is followed by the United Arab Emirates with 50%, Nicaragua with 48.4%, and New Zealand with 48.3%.

Meanwhile, Indonesia ranks 110th out of 193 countries with 21% female representation in parliament. Bangladesh is below Indonesia with 20.9%.

(Read More: Indonesia's Gender Inequality Highest in ASEAN, Singapore Lowest)