67th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference
Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians

Numbers of Women in Parliaments across the Commonwealth

Since its establishment, the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) network has been recording data on the number of women Parliamentarians that there are across the Commonwealth. Although this data has been used for internal purposes, in 2024, for the first time, the CWP has made the data publicly available.  

For the CWP network, collecting data of this kind is crucial for the following reasons:

  1. Representation: Women make up roughly half of the global population, so their voices and perspectives should be adequately represented in decision-making bodies like Parliaments. Tracking the number of women in Parliament helps measure progress towards achieving gender parity and ensuring that women's voices are heard in policymaking.

  2. Equality and Rights: Monitoring the presence of women in Parliament is a measure of progress toward gender equality and women's rights. It reflects a society's commitment to ensuring equal opportunities for men and women in political participation and leadership roles.

  3. Policy Outcomes: Research suggests that diverse legislative bodies produce better policy outcomes. When women are adequately represented in Parliaments, it increases the likelihood of policies that address issues affecting women and promote gender equality. This can include legislation on issues like reproductive rights, childcare, equal pay and combating gender-based violence.

  4. Role Models: Visible representation of women in Parliament can serve as role models for future generations of women leaders. Seeing women in positions of power can inspire girls and young women to pursue careers in politics and other male-dominated fields, thereby contributing to greater diversity and inclusion in leadership roles across society.

  5. Accountability: Tracking the number of women in Parliament can hold governments and political parties accountable for their commitments to gender equality and women's representation. It provides a measurable benchmark against which progress can be assessed and deficiencies addressed.

  6. Global Development Goals: Increasing the representation of women in decision-making positions is integral to achieving various global development goals, including those outlined in the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). SDG 5 specifically targets achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls, with increased female representation in political institutions being a key indicator of progress toward this goal.

In essence, collecting data on the number of women in Parliaments serves as a barometer for measuring societal progress toward gender equality and ensuring that women have a meaningful voice in shaping policies that affect their lives.


 

Overview of the number of women in Commonwealth Parliaments

Total no. of Women Parliamentarians (as at April 2024):

4,205 

Average total percentage overall across the Commonwealth: 

25.9%

CPA Regional Rankings for Women in Parliament

Rank CPA Region Lower House Upper House Total Percentage
1 Australia 40.4 49.5 45.0%
2 Canada 34.2 55.7 45.0%
3 CAA 24.8 40.6 32.7%
4 BIM 29.8 30.9 30.3%
5 Africa 19.3 28.3 23.8%
6 Asia 15.6 19 17.3%
7 SEA 12.9 16.4 14.7%
8 Pacific 11.9   11.9%
9 India 10.8 9.2 10.0%

Top Ten Legislatures for the Number of Women in Parliaments (All)

Rank Legislature Lower House Election Year Lower House Seats Lower House No. Women Lower House Percentage Women Upper House Election Year Upper House Seats Upper House No. Women Upper House Percentage Women Total Average
1 Limpopo 2019 49 27 55.1% N/A N/A N/A N/A 55.1%
2 Australian Capital Territory 2020 25 13 52.0% N/A N/A N/A N/A 52.0%
3 Tasmania 2024 35 15 42.9% 2020 15 9 60.0 51.4%
4 Kwazulu-Natal 2019 80 41 51.3% N/A N/A N/A N/A 51.3%
5 Victoria 2022 88 41 46.6% 2022 40 22 55.0 50.8%
6 Mpumalanga 2019 30 15 50.0% N/A N/A N/A N/A 50.0%
7 Northern Cape 2019 30 15 50.0% N/A N/A N/A N/A 50.0%
8 Northern Territory 2020 25 12 48.0% N/A N/A N/A N/A 48.0%
9 Rwanda 2018 80 49 61.3% 2019 26 9 34.6 48.0%
10 Free State 2019 30 14 46.7% N/A N/A N/A N/A 46.7%

Top Ten Legislatures for the Number of Women in Parliaments (National)

Rank Legislature Lower House Election Year Lower House Seats Lower House No. Women Lower House Percentage Women Upper House Election Year Upper House Seats Upper House No. Women Upper House Percentage Women Total Average
1 Rwanda 2018 80 49 61.3 2019 26 9 34.6 48.0
2 Australia Federal 2022 151 58 38 2022 76 41 53.9 46.0
3 New Zealand 2023 123 56 45.5 N/A N/A N/A N/A 45.5
4 South Africa 2019 394 182 46.2 2019 54 24 44.4 45.3
5 Mozambique 2019 250 108 43.2 N/A N/A N/A N/A 43.2
6 Canada Federal 2021 336 102 30.4 2021 97 54 55.7 43.0
7 Guyana 2020 71 28 39.4 N/A N/A N/A N/A 39.4
8 Dominica 2022 32 12 37.5 N/A N/A N/A N/A 37.5
9 Tanzania 2020 393 147 37.4 N/A N/A N/A N/A 37.4
10 Trinidad and Tobago 2020 42 12 28.6 2020 32 13 40.6 34.6

Download our CWP Gender Statistics Leaflet

Download the leaflet here.


 

List of jurisdictions with no Women Parliamentarians

Region Country National/Subnational Legislature Lower House Election Year Lower House Seats Lower House No. Women Lower House Percentage Women
Africa Nigeria Subnational Abia 2023 24 0 0.0
Africa Nigeria Subnational Bauchi 2023 31 0 0.0
Africa Nigeria Subnational Borno 2023 30 0 0.0
Africa Nigeria Subnational Gombe 2023 24 0 0.0
Africa Nigeria Subnational Imo 2023 27 0 0.0
Africa Nigeria Subnational Jigawa 2023 30 0 0.0
Africa Nigeria Subnational Kano 2023 40 0 0.0
Africa Nigeria Subnational Katsina 2023 34 0 0.0
Africa Nigeria Subnational Kebbi 2023 24 0 0.0
Africa Nigeria Subnational Niger 2023 27 0 0.0
Africa Nigeria Subnational Osun 2023 26 0 0.0
Africa Nigeria Subnational Rivers State 2023 32 0 0.0
Africa Nigeria Subnational Sokoto 2023 30 0 0.0
Africa Nigeria Subnational Yobe 2023 24 0 0.0
Africa Nigeria Subnational Zamfara 2023 24 0 0.0
Pacific Tuvalu National Tuvalu 2024 16 0 0.0

Download the full dataset here.

The data included in this Workbook and on this site has been compiled by the CPA via numerous sources. Data is updated on a quarterly basis and information is based on data as at 1 April 2024.

Please contact programmes@cpahq.org if any of the data provided is no longer up-to-date. 

Please note: The CWP data is likely to change by the end of 2024 due to a higher-than-average number of elections due to take place in Commonwealth Parliaments this year. Further data in subsequent years will also provide a comparative analysis in the future. We also acknowledge the IPU data for national Parliaments which is included as part of this analysis.