Kyrgyzstan recorded the largest increase in women’s representation in parliament worldwide in 2025, according to a new report by the Inter-Parliamentary Union.
The study found that the share of women in Kyrgyzstan’s parliament rose by 12.9 percentage points, the biggest increase among the 49 countries where parliamentary elections or renewals took place in 2025. The report analysed changes across 62 parliamentary chambers worldwide.
Kyrgyzstan’s parliament, the Jogorku Kenesh, has 90 seats, including 30 held by women and 60 by men. Women now account for about one-third of all lawmakers, placing the country among the stronger performers in Central Asia for female political representation.
The relatively high share is partly linked to electoral gender quota requirements designed to ensure women are included on parliamentary candidate lists.
Despite gradual progress, women remain underrepresented in political institutions globally. As of 1 January 2026, women held 27.5% of parliamentary seats worldwide, compared with 27.2% a year earlier.
According to the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the pace of growth in women’s representation has slowed for the second consecutive year and remains the slowest since 2017.
After Kyrgyzstan, the largest increases were recorded in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, where women’s representation rose by 12.3 percentage points, and in the upper chamber of Saint Lucia’s parliament, where it increased by 9.1 percentage points.
Several countries achieved historic levels of female representation following elections in 2025. In Australia, women secured 46% of parliamentary seats, the highest level in the country’s history. In the Czech Republic, the share of women in the lower chamber rose from 25% to about one-third of lawmakers.
Meanwhile, Ecuador reached a record level with 45% female representation in its National Assembly.
Japan also marked a milestone in 2025 when a woman became the country’s prime minister for the first time. After elections in July, women’s representation in the upper house of Japan’s parliament rose to 29.4%, another national record.
Regional differences remain significant. Countries in the Americas currently have the highest levels of representation, with women holding 35.6% of parliamentary seats on average.
Four countries in the region - Bolivia, Cuba, Nicaragua and Mexico - have reached gender parity or have more women than men in their parliaments. Outside the Americas, similar levels of representation have been achieved in Rwanda, Andorra and the United Arab Emirates.
By contrast, the Middle East and North Africa region has the lowest level of representation, where women hold only 16.2% of parliamentary seats on average. In Oman, Tuvalu and Yemen, women hold no seats at all in national parliaments.
The report also highlights persistent challenges faced by women in politics. Research by the Inter-Parliamentary Union found that 76% of women parliamentarians in the Asia-Pacific region reported experiencing psychological violence during their political careers.
The Inter-Parliamentary Union, founded in 1889, brings together 183 national parliaments and 15 regional parliamentary organisations and works to promote democracy and protect the rights of parliamentarians worldwide.
Russia's Defence Ministry said its forces struck two cargo vessels overnight in the Ukrainian Black Sea port o...
Saudi Arabia has temporarily shut down its 1,200-kilometre East-West oil pipeline after it was hit by a drone attack, with Riyadh and Baghdad sayin...
Dubai’s property market has spent years climbing. Now, for the first time since 2021, prices are moving in the opposite direction. ...
Overnight Iranian strikes on an air base in Jordan damaged multiple U.S. aircraft and left one without a wing, American media reported. Meanwhile, explosions were heard across parts of southern Iran according to local media reports.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian arrived in New Delhi on Friday to attend the weekend BRICS summit, amid the ongoing U.S.-Iran conflict, joining a host of foreign dignitaries.
Ukrainian forces struck a Russian oil refinery in Siberia and a seaport in Dagestan in the past 24 hours, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. He will meet Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Thursday to discuss air defences for Ukraine over winter.
A Russian strike on a gas station in Kyiv has killed two people, the city's Mayor Vitali Klitschko said in a statement on Telegram. In Russia, online marketplace Ozon has suspended operations in Saratov, southwestern Russia, following a drone strike on a warehouse in the region.
Twenty-five years after the September 11 attacks drew the U.S. into Afghanistan, the Taliban is seeking a new relationship with Washington built on diplomacy, investment and trade, despite deep divisions between the former enemies.
Uzbekistan plans to introduce a new Heritage Impact Assessment system to shield historic cities and cultural heritage sites from the potential impact of construction and infrastructure development. Digital tools will also be used to manage tourist numbers and limit visitors where necessary.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to deepening its partnership with the Gates Foundation, with talks spanning polio eradication, health, financial inclusion and digital development.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian arrived in New Delhi on Friday to attend the weekend BRICS summit, amid the ongoing U.S.-Iran conflict, joining a host of foreign dignitaries.
Georgia’s top security official has held face-to-face talks with his Azerbaijani counterpart in China, with both sides pledging to deepen intelligence cooperation amid growing global security challenges.
More than 46,000 people have been displaced in Yemen since fighting escalated last week, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Friday, warning that the number is rising “by the hour”.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment