Women's representation among top political leadership declines globally

What you probably already know: Fewer women hold executive positions in political leadership today than they did a year ago. A new analysis from UN Women reveals women represented 23.3% of cabinet members heading global ministries in 2024; this year, the number dropped to 22.9%, marking the first recorded decline in the number of female ministerial leaders. The number of global cabinets evenly split between men and women is also shrinking, dropping from 15 last year to just nine today (Nicaragua, Finland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Estonia, Andorra, Chile, Spain, and the UK), according to the report. In the same amount of time, the number of countries without any women occupying these roles has grown from seven to nine. Countries in Europe, North America, Latin America, and the Caribbean are closest to achieving gender parity in political leadership, though men still represent a roughly two-thirds majority. Central and Southern Asia lag the farthest behind, with women in those regions holding just 9% of executive office roles. Women heads of state or government currently lead 27 countries, compared to 21 countries five years ago; still, 103 countries have never had a woman in the highest executive office.

Why? Women’s rights are being challenged worldwide. In 2024, nearly a quarter of all governments reported a backlash on women’s rights, according to a UN Women report released in March. Physical violence has increased at an alarming pace. Since 2022, cases of conflict-related sexual violence have risen by 50%, with women and girls representing 95% of all victims, while the number of women and girls living in conflict jumped by 54% between 2010 and 2023. Meanwhile, digital platforms and artificial intelligence are fueling discriminatory stereotypes. UN Women estimates that more than half of all adult women living in 12 countries in Europe and Central Asia have experienced gender-based violence facilitated by technology. Climate change, discriminatory laws, food insecurity, and extreme poverty compound the gaps in parity and contribute to the maelstrom of factors barring women from equal representation in political leadership. Persistent gender norms keep women locked out of roles that influence national and global priorities, including defense, finance, and foreign affairs.

What it means: “The world is witnessing the erosion of women’s political leadership at the very moment we need inclusive decision-making the most,” said Sima Bahous, executive director of UN Women. “When women are excluded from the highest levels of leadership, we all lose; as societies forfeit the more equitable, responsive governance that gender-balanced leadership makes possible.” Equitable policies boost workforce participation, productivity, and economic success. Studies show a correlation between increased female political representation and economic growth, with some research indicating that a 10% increase in women's parliamentary representation is linked to a 0.7% increase in GDP growth.

What happens next: Achieving equal rights for women and girls everywhere is a goal agreed upon by 189 governments in the 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. How much closer will the world be to achieving this vision in 30 more years? The World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2025 estimates that at the current pace, achieving gender parity will take another 123 years — longer for some regions. This report reveals that no economy has achieved full gender parity, though Iceland is close with a score of 92.6% on the Global Gender Gap Index. Structured policy changes are needed across all nations, such as implementing gender quotas in political offices, removing financial and structural barriers to encourage more female candidates, and holding the private sector accountable to the same standards of gender diversity.