Press release of the Inter-Parliamentary Union
Berlin, 10 October 1999
N° 2

Under the title "Beijing Plus Five: 1995-2000 A Preliminary Assessment", the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) published today the findings of a survey taking stock of steps taken by the various national parliaments and by political parties to give effect to the commitments undertaken five years ago at the Fourth World Conference on Women held in Beijing. Basing itself on statistics gathered by the IPU on women in parliament, in government and in political parties, in 1995 and in August 1999, the study shows that although the "spirit of Beijing" has marked attitudes, political practice and institutions resist change.

Published today in Berlin in the context of the 102nd Inter-Parliamentary Conference (10-16 October at the International Conference Centre, Berlin), the study shows that parliaments currently have an average of 12.9% women members, as compared with 11.3% in 1995. At the end of August 1999, the 179 parliaments in the world had 13.3% women representatives and 10.7% women senators. Out of 245 parliamentary chambers (69 parliaments are bicameral), a scant 25 are presided over by a woman, as against 24 five years ago.

The study, the first in the world to contain an inventory of posts held by women in governments, shows that in August 1999, a mere 7 out of 190 countries had a woman Head of State (excepting queens and governor-generals) and only 3 States could boast a woman Head of Government. The attached table shows which government posts have been entrusted to women.

Out of 190 States, 48 have no woman minister or even secretary of State in the government and according to the IPU survey of all governments, in August 1999 the world average of women members of the Executive was below that of women MPs, at barely 9.8%.

Analysed by Mrs Geneviève Pascaud-Bécane (former official of the French Senate), the data collected in connection with the survey confirms that Sweden is the only State with a government composed of equal numbers of men and women and that the parliaments of the Nordic countries continue to have the highest share of women in parliament with an average of 38.9% women MPs. The Americas come second with 15.9% women in the lower house and 13.9% in the Senate (15.1% for both houses).

Europe and the OSCE member countries (including the Nordic countries) have 15.4% women in the lower house and 10% in the senate (14.1% in all), whereas without the Nordic countries, this average for Europe and the OSCE countries drops to 13.1% women in the lower chamber (10% in the senate and 12.3% in all). Asia does better with 14.4% women in the lower house and 10.8% in the senate (total: 14%). Next come the Pacific region with 12.2% women in the lower chamber and 22.1% in the senate (13.7% total), sub-Saharan Africa: 11.5% women in the lower chamber and 14% in the senate (11.7% total) and, trailing behind, the Arab States with 3.6% of women in the lower chamber and 2.5% in the senate (total: 3.4%).

On political parties, Mrs Pascaud-Bécane says: "it is parties that hold the key to change" and "it is also at the party level that the almost unanimously endorsed principle of equality must be put into practice". "These traditionally male bastions now seem concerned to revise their statutes and admit more women to their internal structures and list of candidates, if only to satisfy public opinion which is less and less reluctant to elect women and increasingly keen to change the present cast of players on the political stage."

Graphs showing parties on the basis of their self-classification on the traditional political spectrum (from far right to far left) reveal that parties on the left and in the centre have consistently done the most in recent years to ensure that women have access to internal leadership structures, and strive to put forward women candidates for election to parliament. Notwithstanding, less than 30% of all parties have adopted a system for alternating men's and women's names on voting lists and less than 25% place women at the head of the voting lists.

The author of the study asserts that for women, most obstacles to their participation in political life consist "in deficiencies of various kinds: the complications of everyday life, lack of time because of the priority accorded to family or career, lack of training, lack of money, insufficient media influence and, above all, the survival everywhere of traditional prejudices and stereotypes regarding the putative rules of men and women in the family and public life".

With this preliminary assessment of action taken by national parliaments, governments and political parties regarding the Platform of Action adopted in Beijing in 1995, the Inter-Parliamentary Union aims to supplement the UN's survey of governments and enrich its action with a parliamentary dimension. During the "Beijing Plus Five" Special Session of the UN General Assembly to be held in New York from 5 to 9 June 2000, the Union plans to bring together representatives of parliaments, governments and international organisations to discuss how efforts can be combined to achieve "democracy through partnership between men and women".

As a supplement to the assessment of political institutions and parties, the Inter-Parliamentary conducted a series of written interviews of some 200 women politicians throughout the world. The study based on first-hand experiences, will be a major working document for the forum "Perspectives on Democracy: How Women Make a Difference", which the Inter-Parliamentary Union, UNESCO and the UN Division for the Advancement of Women will hold at UNESCO Headquarters from 1 to 3 December 1999. The forum will enable men and women MPs, ministers and representatives of civil society to pool their ideas.

Contact: Mrs. Luisa Ballin, IPU Information Officer in Geneva. Tel.: (41.22) 919.41.16 or 919 41 27, fax: (41.22) 733 31 41 or 919 41 60, e-mail: lb@mail.ipu.org or cd@mail.ipu.org, (in Berlin from 6 to 16 October): tel. (49.30) 3038 6203/04 or (0049) 0172 326 77 01, fax: (49.30) 3038 6067.

The IPU also has a Liaison Office with the UN in New York. Tel.: (1 212) 5575880, fax: (1 212) 5573954, e-mail: ny-office@mail.ipu.org