Lots of Work To Do
March 25, 2009
by Kitt
|11 Comments
Just reviewing the Inter-Parliamentary Union results showing the percentage of women in national parliaments as of February, 2009. The Unites States ranks 71. Because of ties, there are 83 countries ahead of us. Looks like we’ve got some work to do to get this country moving up and forward! 2010 anyone?
| Rank | Country | Lower or single House | Upper House or Senate | ||||||
| Elections | Seats* | Women | % W | Elections | Seats* | Women | % W | ||
| 1 | Rwanda | 9 2008 | 80 | 45 | 56.3% | 10 2003 | 26 | 9 | 34.6% |
| 2 | Sweden | 9 2006 | 349 | 164 | 47.0% | — | — | — | — |
| 3 | Cuba | 1 2008 | 614 | 265 | 43.2% | — | — | — | — |
| 4 | Finland | 3 2007 | 200 | 83 | 41.5% | — | — | — | — |
| 5 | Netherlands | 11 2006 | 150 | 62 | 41.3% | 5 2007 | 75 | 26 | 34.7% |
| 6 | Argentina | 10 2007 | 255 | 102 | 40.0% | 10 2007 | 72 | 28 | 38.9% |
| 7 | Denmark | 11 2007 | 179 | 68 | 38.0% | — | — | — | — |
| 8 | Angola | 9 2008 | 220 | 82 | 37.3% | — | — | — | — |
| 9 | Costa Rica | 2 2006 | 57 | 21 | 36.8% | — | — | — | — |
| 10 | Spain | 3 2008 | 350 | 127 | 36.3% | 3 2008 | 263 | 79 | 30.0% |
| 11 | Norway | 9 2005 | 169 | 61 | 36.1% | — | — | — | — |
| 12 | Belgium | 6 2007 | 150 | 53 | 35.3% | 6 2007 | 71 | 27 | 38.0% |
| 13 | Mozambique | 12 2004 | 250 | 87 | 34.8% | — | — | — | — |
| 14 | New Zealand | 11 2008 | 122 | 41 | 33.6% | — | — | — | — |
| 15 | Iceland | 5 2007 | 63 | 21 | 33.3% | — | — | — | — |
| 16 | Nepal | 4 2008 | 594 | 197 | 33.2% | — | — | — | — |
| 17 | South Africa 1 | 4 2004 | 400 | 132 | 33.0% | 4 2004 | 54 | 22 | 40.7% |
| 18 | Germany | 9 2005 | 612 | 197 | 32.2% | N.A. | 69 | 15 | 21.7% |
| 19 | Belarus | 9 2008 | 110 | 35 | 31.8% | 7 2008 | 56 | 19 | 33.9% |
| 20 | Uganda | 2 2006 | 332 | 102 | 30.7% | — | — | — | — |
| 21 | Burundi | 7 2005 | 118 | 36 | 30.5% | 7 2005 | 49 | 17 | 34.7% |
| 22 | United Republic of Tanzania | 12 2005 | 319 | 97 | 30.4% | — | — | — | — |
| 23 | Guyana | 8 2006 | 70 | 21 | 30.0% | — | — | — | — |
| 24 | Peru | 4 2006 | 120 | 35 | 29.2% | — | — | — | — |
| “ | Timor-Leste | 6 2007 | 65 | 19 | 29.2% | — | — | — | — |
| 25 | Switzerland | 10 2007 | 200 | 57 | 28.5% | 10 2007 | 46 | 10 | 21.7% |
| 26 | Austria | 9 2008 | 183 | 52 | 28.4% | N.A. | 61 | 15 | 24.6% |
| 27 | Portugal | 2 2005 | 230 | 65 | 28.3% | — | — | — | — |
| “ | The F.Y.R. of Macedonia | 6 2008 | 120 | 34 | 28.3% | — | — | — | — |
| 28 | Afghanistan | 9 2005 | 242 | 67 | 27.7% | 9 2005 | 102 | 22 | 21.6% |
| 29 | Ecuador 2 | 10 2008 | 76 | 21 | 27.6% | — | — | — | — |
| 30 | Namibia | 11 2004 | 78 | 21 | 26.9% | 11 2004 | 26 | 7 | 26.9% |
| 31 | Trinidad and Tobago | 11 2007 | 41 | 11 | 26.8% | 12 2007 | 31 | 13 | 41.9% |
| 32 | Australia | 11 2007 | 150 | 40 | 26.7% | 11 2007 | 76 | 27 | 35.5% |
| 33 | Viet Nam | 5 2007 | 493 | 127 | 25.8% | — | — | — | — |
| 34 | Kyrgyzstan | 12 2007 | 90 | 23 | 25.6% | — | — | — | — |
| 35 | Iraq | 12 2005 | 275 | 70 | 25.5% | — | — | — | — |
| “ | Suriname | 5 2005 | 51 | 13 | 25.5% | — | — | — | — |
| 36 | Lao People’s Democratic Republic | 4 2006 | 115 | 29 | 25.2% | — | — | — | — |
| 37 | Andorra | 4 2005 | 28 | 7 | 25.0% | — | — | — | — |
| “ | Lesotho | 2 2007 | 120 | 30 | 25.0% | 3 2007 | 31 | 9 | 29.0% |
| “ | Monaco | 2 2008 | 24 | 6 | 25.0% | — | — | — | — |
| 38 | Singapore | 5 2006 | 94 | 23 | 24.5% | — | — | — | — |
| 39 | Liechtenstein | 2 2009 | 25 | 6 | 24.0% | — | — | — | — |
| 40 | Seychelles | 5 2007 | 34 | 8 | 23.5% | — | — | — | — |
| 41 | Honduras | 11 2005 | 128 | 30 | 23.4% | — | — | — | — |
| 42 | Luxembourg | 6 2004 | 60 | 14 | 23.3% | — | — | — | — |
| 43 | Mexico | 7 2006 | 500 | 116 | 23.2% | 7 2006 | 128 | 23 | 18.0% |
| 44 | Tunisia | 10 2004 | 189 | 43 | 22.8% | 8 2008 | 112 | 17 | 15.2% |
| 45 | Pakistan | 2 2008 | 338 | 76 | 22.5% | 3 2006 | 100 | 17 | 17.0% |
| “ | United Arab Emirates | 12 2006 | 40 | 9 | 22.5% | — | — | — | — |
| 46 | Canada | 10 2008 | 308 | 68 | 22.1% | N.A. | 93 | 32 | 34.4% |
| “ | Mauritania | 11 2006 | 95 | 21 | 22.1% | 1 2007 | 56 | 9 | 16.1% |
| 47 | Eritrea | 2 1994 | 150 | 33 | 22.0% | — | — | — | — |
| “ | Senegal | 6 2007 | 150 | 33 | 22.0% | 8 2007 | 100 | 40 | 40.0% |
| 48 | Ethiopia | 5 2005 | 529 | 116 | 21.9% | 10 2005 | 112 | 21 | 18.8% |
| 49 | Republic of Moldova | 3 2005 | 101 | 22 | 21.8% | — | — | — | — |
| 50 | Bulgaria | 6 2005 | 240 | 52 | 21.7% | — | — | — | — |
| 51 | Serbia | 5 2008 | 250 | 54 | 21.6% | — | — | — | — |
| 52 | China | 3 2008 | 2987 | 637 | 21.3% | — | — | — | — |
| “ | Italy | 4 2008 | 630 | 134 | 21.3% | 4 2008 | 322 | 58 | 18.0% |
| 53 | Croatia | 11 2007 | 153 | 32 | 20.9% | — | — | — | — |
| 54 | Estonia | 3 2007 | 101 | 21 | 20.8% | — | — | — | — |
| 55 | Philippines | 5 2007 | 239 | 49 | 20.5% | 5 2007 | 23 | 4 | 17.4% |
| 56 | Poland | 10 2007 | 460 | 93 | 20.2% | 10 2007 | 100 | 8 | 8.0% |
| 57 | Democratic People’s Republic of Korea | 8 2003 | 687 | 138 | 20.1% | — | — | — | — |
| 58 | Latvia | 10 2006 | 100 | 20 | 20.0% | — | — | — | — |
| 59 | Dominican Republic | 5 2006 | 178 | 35 | 19.7% | 5 2006 | 32 | 1 | 3.1% |
| 60 | United Kingdom | 5 2005 | 646 | 126 | 19.5% | N.A. | 746 | 147 | 19.7% |
| 61 | Slovakia | 6 2006 | 150 | 29 | 19.3% | — | — | — | — |
| 62 | El Salvador | 1 2009 | 84 | 16 | 19.0% | — | — | — | — |
| 63 | Dominica | 5 2005 | 32 | 6 | 18.8% | — | — | — | — |
| 64 | Venezuela | 12 2005 | 167 | 31 | 18.6% | — | — | — | — |
| 65 | Nicaragua | 11 2006 | 92 | 17 | 18.5% | — | — | — | — |
| 66 | France | 6 2007 | 577 | 105 | 18.2% | 9 2008 | 343 | 75 | 21.9% |
| “ | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 12 2005 | 22 | 4 | 18.2% | — | — | — | — |
| 67 | Cape Verde | 1 2006 | 72 | 13 | 18.1% | — | — | — | — |
| “ | Sudan | 8 2005 | 443 | 80 | 18.1% | 8 2005 | 50 | 3 | 6.0% |
| 68 | Lithuania | 10 2008 | 141 | 25 | 17.7% | — | — | — | — |
| 69 | Israel | 2 2009 | 120 | 21 | 17.5% | — | — | — | — |
| “ | Tajikistan | 2 2005 | 63 | 11 | 17.5% | 3 2005 | 34 | 8 | 23.5% |
| “ | Uzbekistan | 12 2004 | 120 | 21 | 17.5% | 1 2005 | 100 | 15 | 15.0% |
| 70 | Mauritius | 7 2005 | 70 | 12 | 17.1% | — | — | — | — |
| 71 | United States of America 3 | 11 2008 | 435 | 74 | 17.0% | 11 2008 | 100 | 17 | 17.0% |
Well all of you who post here know this is my favorite rant — but for a so called progressive, democratic country this percentage for U.S. is almost a mockery.
when people hear this information they are truly shocked—-speechless even. They often respond with “how can this be?”
We ought to keep telling this story over and over again since it will take alot of time for it to sink in. The more we tell it, the more likely that people will vote for the women to right this wrong.
It’s just another example of the leadership void in the women’s movement….
This transcends hypocrisy and we, collectively, make a mockery of ourselves.
The gender gap is greatest where power and resources are most concentrated. The US is/was the biggest superpower so the gender gap is great in the corporate world and in politics, e,g. the 2008 election and this chart. Power and resources are also most concentrated among whites in the U.S. so the wage gap bewteen white men and women is 30%, 20% for Asians and 10% of blacks and Latinos.
So it looks like only six countries in our world have a fairly representative government. The U.S., in my view, is still extremely misogynist in a majority of people, male and female alike. We need more women in Congress like Hilary was and most of the current ones (exception Pelosi). To act and behave as if they are equal to men and not playing games–and to be aggresively shocked when they are treated as subordinates.
The sad thing here is that Switzerland, which only gave women the right to vote in 1971, is ranked 25th.
That right there tells us what a lie liberation in America is.
Wow! Even Moldova beats us? Purportedly one of the unhappiest places in the world…. and we can’t top them.
Sad state of affairs.
This is a great list—nothing like a chart to drive home the point.
Have you sent it to Valerie Jarrett and the Women’s Council?
Anna Belle, good for Switzerland. However, in Germany women got the vote passive and active after WWI (the passive vote was taken during Hitler’s regime) and the highest number of representation was in the Weimarer Republic. It went down from then on until the 70ies when the green party gave the odd number positions to females, the even number positions to men and drew immediately significant votes. That triggered the social democrats to give women better spots. The Christian party took even longer. Their corruption had to be found out and Chancellor Merkel was a savior for them coming from a pastor’s family from former East Germany, high ethical standards and no Stasi file.
Some of these countries that are ahead of us on this list we would not wish to emulate. That being said, I am not sure that many people are aware of how limited the progress is that women have made in the United State. It is almost as if we were told, “here’s the vote, now shut-up and leave us alone.” I am pretty sure that most social ills could be mitigated if more women were in positions of power, not because we are morally superior, but because we view things differently. You need to be able to think out of the box and collect different views to solve issues. The more options a society has, the better choices it can make.
[...] of elected officials in the U.S. (In this respect, by the way, our country ranks an embarrassing 71st in the world.) And women who identify as feminists have their problems too. If you read histories [...]
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