Political Leadership 2025: Even with progress in gender equality, men continue to lead in politics in 2025. Discover the key reasons behind this ongoing imbalance
New Data Highlights Gender Disparity in Political Leadership
New findings from the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and UN Women reveal that progress toward gender equality in political leadership remains slow as of 2025. Despite marking the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, which aimed to establish gender equality, men continue to outnumber women in executive and legislative positions by more than three to one.
Key Findings from the 2025 IPU–UN Women Report
The proportion of women in parliament has seen a minor increase of 0.3 percentage points, reaching 27.2%, compared to the previous year.
Women holding government positions have declined by 0.4 percentage points.
Only 25 countries worldwide have women leading as Heads of State or Government.
The highest representation of women leaders remains in Europe, with 12 countries led by women.
IPU President Tulia Ackson expressed concern over the slow rate of progress, calling it “alarming” despite significant elections worldwide. She emphasized the need for decisive action to break systemic barriers preventing gender equality in politics.
Women’s Representation in Cabinets Declines
As of January 2025, the share of women serving as cabinet ministers dropped to 22.9%, down from 23.3% in 2024. A total of 64 countries saw a decline, while only 62 showed improvement.
Top countries with gender-equal cabinets:
Nicaragua (64.3%)
Finland (61.1%)
Iceland & Liechtenstein (60%)
Estonia (58.3%)
Andorra, Chile, Spain, and the UK (all at 50%)
In contrast, nine countries—primarily in Asia and the Pacific—have zero women ministers, an increase from seven in 2024.
Gender Bias in Ministerial Portfolios
Women in politics continue to be assigned roles in social sectors rather than key decision-making areas:
Women & gender equality: 86.7%
Family & children affairs: 71.4%
Foreign affairs: 17.8%
Financial & fiscal affairs: 16.4%
Home affairs: 13.2%
Defence: 13.0%
Sima Bahous, Executive Director of UN Women, urged governments to take concrete steps such as quotas, electoral reforms, and dismantling systemic barriers to ensure true gender equality in political leadership.
Women’s Representation in Parliament Stalls
Despite 2024 being a super election year, growth in women’s representation was the slowest since 2017. The Americas lead in parliamentary gender representation with 34.5% women MPs, while the Middle East and North Africa region ranks last at 16.7%
