Women in political leadership: Insights for International Women’s Day

In this article, Bridget Schippers, who studies at the University of Notre Dame, uses data from the Political Data Yearbook to offer insights into women's representation in governments.

As we approach International Women’s Day, ECPR celebrates the political achievements of women, the scholarly work on women’s political participation, and the achievements of women in political science. 

This year’s International Women's Day theme from UN Women, Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress, emphasises the importance of redoubling our efforts for inclusive governance by investing in women themselves.

While progress has been made in women’s overall political participation, there is a pressing need for representation in leadership roles.

The representation of women in political leadership positions continues to vary between countries, between branches of government within countries, and even between the organisational levels within branches and agencies.

Unpacking the data

Edited by Raul Gomez, Michelangelo Vercesi and Thomas Mustillo, ECPR's annual Political Data Yearbook (PDY) publishes data on changes in government. This includes changes in the descriptive representation of women in government – for EU member states, as well as a number of countries beyond the EU.

Each year of the Political Data Yearbook data offers a benchmark to evaluate progress. It provides valuable insights into the extent of progress achieved and highlights areas where concerted efforts are required to address gender imbalances.

In celebrating International Women’s Day 2024, it is an opportune moment to reflect on the trends which were identified by the recent Political Data Yearbook (see full data below).

Out of the 37 countries tracked in the Political Data Yearbook, only five had the lower legislative house where at least 45% of the members were women.

There was greater parity in cabinet composition, as 12 of the countries had cabinets where at least 45% of members were women. 

Towards gender parity

Still, this increased presence of women in cabinets has not necessarily translated into equal substantive representation. There remains variation within cabinets in the types of positions held by men versus women.

Significant strides are still needed to achieve gender parity in decision-making spheres across the globe.

Researchers continue to study the evolving landscape of women's participation in politics worldwide, and their insights illuminate the path towards greater gender equality.

Keywords: Elections, Gender, Government, Parliaments, Representation