Results of the recent elections in Rwanda have placed the African country at the top of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) world ranking of women in national parliaments. With women now comprising 48.8% of the National Assembly of Rwanda, the country has come the closest to reaching parity between men and women of any national parliament, and replaces the long-time champion, Sweden, where women comprise 45% of the national parliament. Women in Rwanda previously accounted for 25.7% of MPs.

After years of transition, Rwanda held elections to its National Assembly and Senate last month. For many Rwandans, the legitimacy of the new parliament hinged on an equal participation of men and women, both as voters and as candidates. Rwanda's new Constitution has a quota of 24 seats reserved for women in the National Assembly. In addition, 15 women were elected to non-reserved seats, making a total of 39 women elected to the Lower House. As for the Senate, the constitutional quota of 30% was reached with 6 women elected out of 20 members.

"Over the past three years, the IPU has supported the reconstruction of Rwanda, with the UNDP as its partner, placing particular emphasis on the role of women in parliaments", said the IPU President, Chilean Senator Sergio Páez, adding that the Union had organised two seminars aimed at improving women's access to the political sphere. In 2001, a seminar was held to consider ways of ensuring that the new Rwandan Constitution would be gender-sensitive. As a result of a two year process, the current Constitution includes many provisions guaranteeing a minimum participation of women in politics. This year, the IPU, in cooperation with UNDP, organised a workshop for women candidates running in the electoral campaign. While there is no conclusive explanation for the large number of women elected to Parliament, it is clear that the constitutional allocation of seats to women was a contributing factor. It is also clear that Rwandan women are enthusiastic about political process and keen to be party to it , and that there is a general political recognition of the need to have women on board.

It will be interesting to see what the entry of so many women in the National Assembly will do for politics in Rwanda. Whether this change at the decision-making level will translate into a change in the more traditional societal expectations of women remains to be seen. "The success of women in politics in the Nordic countries, for example, has long been attributed to a culture which fundamentally values the equality of women in all sectors of society, be it in the world of paid work, schools and universities, or at home. Time will tell if such a culture also takes root in Rwanda", explained the IPU Secretary General, Anders B. Johnsson.

Taking into account recent elections, the world average of women's participation in politics is now 15.2%, one of the highest ever reached. Federal elections held in Switzerland last week-end also saw an increase in the proportion of women elected to parliament. Women now comprise 26.5% of the Swiss National Council, up from 23% at the last elections, doubtless aided by quotas at the political party level. Switzerland now ranks 20th in the world.

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Established in 1889 and with its Headquarters in Geneva, the IPU, the oldest multilateral organisation, currently has 138 affiliated national parliaments and five regional assemblies as associate members. The organisation of the world's parliaments also has an office as Permanent Observer with the United Nations in New York.
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