 | Surveys and studies by IPU are a valuable source of reference for Parliaments and their members, numerous international institutions such as the United Nations, political parties and organizations, academics, universities and the media. They also served to define the main guidelines of the IPU's programme on the status of women and help to increase the Union's international reputation. |
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WOMEN IN PARLIAMENT: THE YEAR IN PERSPECTIVE
This annual brochure provides an overview and analysis of progress made and setbacks encountered by women in parliament further to elections and renewals held in 2012. Produced every year on the occasion of International Women's Day (8 March), it presents data on women in national parliaments, regional and world trends, information on women presiding officers and women candidates. It also analyses mechanisms aimed at supporting women's access to parliament. The brochure is short and easy to read, providing a snapshot on the situation of women in parliaments worldwide.
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WOMEN IN PARLIAMENT: THE YEAR IN PERSPECTIVE
This annual brochure provides an overview and analysis of progress made and setbacks encountered by women in parliament further to elections and renewals held in 2011. Produced every year on the occasion of International Women's Day (8 March), it presents data on women in national parliaments, regional and world trends, information on women presiding officers and women candidates. It also analyses mechanisms aimed at supporting women's access to parliament. The brochure is short and easy to read, providing a snapshot on the situation of women in parliaments worldwide.
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WOMEN IN PARLIAMENT: THE YEAR IN PERSPECTIVE
This annual brochure provides an overview and analysis of progress made and setbacks encountered by women in parliament further to elections and renewals held in 2010. Produced every year on the occasion of International Women's Day (8 March), it presents data on women in national parliaments, regional and world trends, information on women presiding officers and women candidates. It also analyses mechanisms aimed at supporting women's access to parliament. The brochure is short and easy to read, providing a snapshot on the situation of women in parliaments worldwide.
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WOMEN IN POLITICS: 2010 (POSTER)
The poster is a "snapshot" of the presence of women in the Executive and Legislative branches of Government, in January 2010. It is published by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women, on the occasion of the 54th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, which reviewed progress made in the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action. The poster provides information on the percentage of women in ministerial ranks, women in parliaments, women in the highest decision-making bodies (women Presidents of States or Governments, women Presiding Officers of parliamentary bodies), as well as information on the ministerial portfolios held by women throughout the world. Borders are depicted and used on the map in order to present data. They are not the expression of any opinion concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or concerning the delimitation of frontiers or boundaries.
WOMEN IN PARLIAMENT: THE YEAR IN PERSPECTIVE
This annual brochure provides an overview and analysis of progress made and setbacks encountered by women in parliament further to elections and renewals held in 2009. Produced every year on the occasion of International Women's Day (8 March), it presents data on women in national parliaments, regional and world trends, information on women presiding officers and women candidates. It also analyses mechanisms aimed at supporting women's access to parliament. The brochure is short and easy to read, providing a snapshot on the situation of women in parliaments worldwide.
IS PARLIAMENT OPEN TO WOMEN? AN APPRAISAL
As part of its efforts to strengthen parliament’s capacity to promote gender equality, the IPU holds annual seminars for members of parliamentary bodies that deal with gender equality matters. The 2009 conference, Is Parliament Open to Women? An Appraisal, held in Geneva from 28-29 September, brought together around 80 parliamentarians from 38 countries. The conference appraised progress made in terms of women’s parliamentary participation across the world since the Beijing Conference. The objective of the meeting was to answer the question: is parliament open to women? As the readers of this report will discover, the answers to this ostensibly simple question are multifaceted and diverse. This publication contains the highlights of the experts' presentations, overviews of the debates and the summary and recommendations of the Rapporteur of the Conference.
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REPORT OF THE THIRD REGIONAL CONFERENCE OF WOMEN PARLIAMENTARIANS OF THE GCC STATES
The Third Annual Conference of Women Parliamentarians and Women in Political Decision-Making Positions of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) States took place in Muscat, Sultanate of Oman, on 21 and 22 December 2009. Women members of parliament and women in politics from Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen met to discuss partnership with the media and women’s associations This publication, available only in Arabic, is the final report of the Conference. It contains the experts' contributions, results of the debates, the summary and recommendations of the Conference as well as interviews with the participants.
PARLIAMENTS TAKE ACTION ON VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN. PRIORITY ACTIONS FOR PARLIAMENTS
This brochure was designed for the IPU campaign Parliaments Take Action on Violence against Women. It focuses on six priority actions for parliaments identified as the principal elements and strategies likely to effectively contribute to putting an end to violence against women. It includes examples of parliamentary mechanisms and initiatives that have been taken to address this scourge, reflecting the diversity of national situations, experiences and measures which contribute to end violence against women.
WOMEN IN PARLIAMENT: THE YEAR IN PERSPECTIVE
This annual brochure provides an overview and analysis of progress made and setbacks encountered by women in parliament further to elections and renewals held in 2008. Produced every year on the occasion of International Women's Day (8 March), it presents data on women in national parliaments, regional and world trends, information on women presiding officers and women candidates. It also analyses mechanisms aimed at supporting women's access to parliament. The brochure is short and easy to read, providing a snapshot on the situation of women in parliaments worldwide.
HOW TO PUT AN END TO THE PRACTICE OF FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION?
Every 10 seconds, somewhere in the world, a little girl is a victim of genital mutilation. Three million girls are excised every year. To mark the International Day of Zero Tolerance to FGM on 6 February 2008, more than 100 representatives of international organizations, civil society, media, diplomatic missions and the local authorities in Geneva gathered at The House of Parliaments to discuss ways of putting an end to this harmful practice. The IPU, the Département des Institutions de l’Etat de Genève (Geneva Department of Institutions), the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Inter-African Committee on Traditional Practices (IAC) decided to join forces to put an end to this human tragedy. This publication contains the experts' contributions, extracts of the debates and conclusions of the seminar, as well as an interview with a former Speaker of the National Assembly of Burkina Faso, who is also a traditional chief, and the Declaration of the Conference “Violence against Women, Abandoning FGM” held in Dakar (Senegal) in 2005.
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REPORT OF THE SECOND REGIONAL CONFERENCE OF WOMEN PARLIAMENTARIANS OF GCC STATES
The Second Annual Conference of Women Parliamentarians and Women in Political Decision-Making Positions of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) States took place in Abu Dhabi on 30 and 31 October 2007. Women parliamentarians and women in politics from Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE and Yemen came together to discuss how to enhance women legislators’ input in parliament. Women’s political participation, the challenges facing GCC women in decision-making positions and gender mainstreaming in parliament were among the main issues raised by the Conference. This publication, available only in Arabic, is the final report of the Conference. It contains the experts' contributions, results of the debates and the summary and recommendations of the Rapporteur of the Conference.
WOMEN AND WORK
As part of its efforts to strengthen the capacity of parliaments to promote gender equality and respect for women's rights, the IPU organised its second meeting of members of parliamentary bodies dealing with gender issues in Geneva, in December 2007.
Women and Work was the general topic of this second Seminar, which was organised by the IPU in cooperation with the International Labour Organisation and was also open to parliamentary bodies dealing with labour issues. It brought together members of parliament to discuss ways and means of identifying key priority areas for action and parliamentary initiatives and strategies to achieve equality between men and women on the labour market. This publication contains the experts' contributions, extracts of the debates and the summary and recommendations of the Rapporteur of the seminar.
WOMEN IN PARLIAMENT: THE YEAR IN PERSPECTIVE
This annual brochure provides an overview and analysis of progress made and setbacks encountered by women in parliament further to elections and renewals held in 2007. Produced every year on the occasion of International Women's Day (8 March), it presents data on women in national parliaments, regional and world trends, information on women presiding officers and women candidates. It also analyses mechanisms aimed at supporting women's access to parliament. The brochure is short and easy to read, providing a snapshot on the situation of women in parliaments worldwide.
WOMEN IN POLITICS: 2008 (POSTER)
The poster is a "snapshot" of the presence of women in the Executive and Legislative branches of Government, in January 2008. It is published by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women, on the occasion of the 52nd session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, which reviewed progress made in the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action. The poster provides information on the percentage of women in ministerial ranks, women in parliaments, women in the highest decision-making bodies (women Presidents of States or Governments, women Presiding Officers of parliamentary bodies), as well as information on the ministerial portfolios held by women throughout the world. Borders are depicted and used on the map in order to present data. They are not the expression of any opinion concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or concerning the delimitation of frontiers or boundaries.
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FIRST MEETING OF PARLIAMENTARY BODIES DEALING WITH GENDER EQUALITY
As part of its efforts to strengthen the capacity of parliaments to promote gender equality and respect for women’s rights, the IPU organised a first seminar of parliamentary bodies dealing with gender issues in Geneva, in December 2006. The seminar brought together members of parliament from 36 countries to discuss ways and means of enhancing the work of their committees in addressing gender issues. This publication contains the experts' contributions, extracts of the debates and the summary and recommendations of the Rapporteur of the seminar.
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WOMEN IN PARLIAMENT: THE YEAR IN PERSPECTIVE
This annual brochure provides an overview and analysis of progress made and setbacks encountered by women in parliament further to elections and renewals held in 2005. Produced every year on the occasion of International Women's Day (8 March), it presents data on women in national parliaments, regional and world trends, information on women presiding officers and women candidates. It also analyses mechanisms aimed at supporting women's access to parliament. The brochure is short and easy to read, providing a snapshot on the situation of women in parliaments worldwide.
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WOMEN IN POLITICS: 2005 (POSTER)
The poster is a "snapshot" of the presence of women in the Executive and Legislative branches of Government, in January 2005. It is published by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women, on the occasion of the 49th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, which reviewed progress made in the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action. The poster provides information on the percentage of women in ministerial ranks, women in parliaments, women in the highest decision-making bodies (women Presidents of States or Governments, women Presiding Officers of parliamentary bodies), as well as information on the ministerial portfolios held by women throughout the world. Borders are depicted and used on the map in order to present data. They are not the expression of any opinion concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or concerning the delimitation of frontiers or boundaries.
WOMEN IN POLITICS: 1945 - 2005 (INFORMATION KIT)
Published on the occasion of the 49th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women which reviewed progress made in the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action., this information kit is composed of six data sheets on women's participation in politics over the past 60 years:
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PARLIAMENT, THE BUDGET AND GENDER
This handbook, jointly produced with the United Nations Development Programme, the World Bank Institute and the United Nations Fund for Women, was inspired by a series of regional and national seminars on Parliament and the Budgetary Process, Including from a Gender Perspective. Intended as a reference tool, this handbook sets out practical examples of parliament's active engagement in the budgetary process. It seeks to advance parliament's own institutional capacity to make a positive impact on the budget, and to equip parliament, its members and parliamentary staff with the necessary tools to examine the budget from a gender perspective. The Handbook will also serve as a follow-up guide for participants of past and future seminars on the role of parliaments in the budgetary process.
PARLIAMENT AND THE BUDGETARY PROCESS, INCLUDING FROM A GENDER PERSPECTIVE
The event was the fourth in a series of seminars organised by the IPU. In addition to some of the more common themes discussed in previous seminars, such as the respective roles of government and parliament in the budgetary process, the meaning of a gender perspective in the budget, and how to conduct a gender impact analysis of the budget, the Colombo seminar placed particular attention on the roles played by the auditor general's office and parliamentary committees, such as public finance and audit committees, as well as on accountability and transparency in the budgetary process.
Regional Seminar (Colombo, May 2003)
This report compiles the results of and statements delivered at the seminar held in Colombo, Sri Lanka in May 2003 entitled "Parliament and the budgetary process, including from a gender perspective". The seminar was organised at the invitation of the Parliament of Sri Lanka and in partnership with the World Bank Institute, and brought together members of parliament and parliamentary staff from neighbouring countries.
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TIMOR-LESTE
As part of a series of institution-building projects in Timor-Leste, the IPU and UNDP organised a national seminar on the role of parliament in the budgetary process. The seminar was held in Dili on 8 and 9 May, 2003, just before the second reading session of the Budget. Parliamentarians from all parties attended the seminar. The aim was to equip all Members of Parliament with the necessary tools to effectively scrutinise the Budget. The report of this seminar compiles all the speeches and statements made during the seminar, and its results.
PARLIAMENT AND THE BUDGETARY PROCESS, INCLUDING FROM A GENDER PERSPECTIVE
Regional Seminar (Manila, July 2002)
This report compiles the results of and statements given at the seminar held in Manila, Philippines, from 23-25 July 2002 on "Parliament and the budgetary process, including from a gender perspective". The event, hosted by the Congress of the Republic of the Philippines and organised by the IPU in conjunction with the UNDP and the World Bank Institute, is the third regional seminar of its kind. In addition to some of the more common themes discussed in previous seminars, such as a general introduction to budgetary processes, the role of the auditor, and issues of accountability and transparency, the Manila seminar highlighted the effects of the Asian economic crisis and the fallout from economic destabilisation. As in other regional seminars, sessions were also held on analysing national budgets from a gender perspective, so as to assess how revenue expenditure and raising have differential effects on men and women and determine the best ways of responding to the specific needs of both men and women.
NATIONAL SEMINAR ON "RWANDAN WOMEN AND THE ELECTORAL CAMPAIGN"
This publication reports on a seminar organised by the IPU in cooperation with the UNDP and supported by the Transitional National Assembly of Rwanda, on 30 and 31 July 2003. The seminar aimed to provide women candidates to the forthcoming legislative elections with training and support. In addition to the General Report of the seminar, this publication includes the presentations of the resource persons on a number of topics including the Constitutional provisions regarding women, the electoral law and process in Rwanda, as well as more practical campaigning advice on funding, links with the media and how to respond to the needs of the electorate.
HANDBOOK FOR PARLIAMENTARIANS: "THE CONVENTION ON THE ELIMINATION OF ALL FORMS OF DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN AND ITS OPTIONAL PROTOCOL"
This handbook, jointly produced with the United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women, offers a comprehensive and educational presentation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, which is the most comprehensive international instrument on women's
rights, and its Optional Protocol. The handbook presents the background to and content of the Convention and the Optional Protocol and describes the role of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, which secures implementation at the national level. It provides examples of best practices and gives an overview of what parliamentarians can do to ensure effective implementation of the Convention and encourage use of the Protocol. It also proposes model instruments and reference material as aids designed to facilitate the work of legislators.
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PARLIAMENT AND THE BUDGETARY PROCESS, INCLUDING FROM A GENDER PERSPECTIVE
Regional Seminar (Mali, November 2001)
This publication reports on a seminar organised by the IPU in cooperation with UNDP, and with the support of the World Bank Institute in Bamako, from 1 to 3 November 2001, at the invitation of the Parliament of Mali. It is the second IPU regional seminar on the issue. The first seminar for English-speaking African parliaments was held in Kenya, in May 2000. The brochure contains quotes from the statements made by participants, the speeches delivered during the inaugural and closing ceremonies, the texts of the papers presented by the resource persons as well as the General Report that was approved by the participants at the end of the seminar.
NATIONAL SEMINAR ON "THE PROCESS OF ENGENDERING A NEW CONSTITUTION FOR RWANDA"
This publication reports on the seminar organised in Kigali in June 2001 by the IPU in cooperation with UNDP, with input from UNIFEM and UNECA. It includes a summary of the proceedings and the guidelines adopted by participants. It also contains inaugural and concluding speeches as well
as the presentations by the resource persons.
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PARLIAMENT AND THE BUDGETARY PROCESS, INCLUDING FROM A GENDER PERSPECTIVE
Regional Seminar (Nairobi, May 2000)
This publication reports on a seminar organised by the IPU in cooperation with UNDP that took place in Nairobi, from 22 to 24 May 2000, at the invitation of the Kenyan Parliament. It aimed at improving MPs' and parliamentary staffers' understanding of the three phases of the budgetary process (elaboration, reading in Parliament and oversight) and its gender implications. Representatives of 18 English-speaking African parliaments discussed the respective roles of Government and Parliament in the budget process; the need for accountability and transparency in the budget process; Parliamentary oversight of the budget: reading, analysing and questioning; gender impact analysis of the budget; mechanisms and methods for developing a gender-sensitive budget, including gender disaggregated data.
The brochure contains a wealth of quotes from the statements made by participants, the speeches delivered during the inaugural and closing ceremonies, the texts of the papers presented by the resource persons as well as the Key Issues and Guidelines that were adopted by the participants at the end of the seminar.
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WOMEN IN POLITICS: 1945-2000 (INFORMATION KIT)
Published on the occasion of the "Beijing+5" Special Session of the United Nations General Assembly, this information kit presents five data sheets on women’s participation in politics over the past 55 years: 1. Historical table on the institutional and legal evolution of States and the presence of women in national parliaments; 2. A chronology of women Heads of State or Government; 3. An overview of women in the executive and legislative branches; 4. Progress and setbacks of women in the lower or single House of national parliaments; 5. Women in the two parliamentary regional assemblies elected by direct suffrage; 6. "A global analysis: What has worked for women in politics and what has not, 1975-1998". The latter text reproduces an analysis presented at the second CAPWIP Congress held in 1998.
WOMEN IN POLITICS: 2000 (POSTER)
The poster is a "snapshot" of the presence of women in the Executive and Legislative branches of Government, in March 2000. It is published by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the United Nations Department of Public Information, on the occasion of the Beijing + 5 Special Session of the United Nations General Assembly.
Information on the Executive branch covers the 151 States which submitted data. The poster indicates whether a woman is Head of State or government and shows the number of women in government and how the ministerial portfolios are distributed. For the legislative branch, the poster gives figures and country colour-coding to illustrate the number of women in 174 of the 177 existing national parliaments and the two directly elected regional parliamentary assemblies. It also shows which national parliaments are presided over by women.
Borders are depicted and used on the map in order to present data. They are not the expression of any opinion concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or concerning the delimitation of frontiers or boundaries.
POLITICS: WOMEN'S INSIGHT
Based on a series of interviews with women politicians conducted
by the Inter-Parliamentary Union during 1999 on the basis of a
questionnaire, this study analyses the political experience of
some 200 women from all over the world. It highlights women's
specific contribution to the political process and the changes
to which their presence on the political scene has led in the
prevailing political culture, mores and environment, as well as
in parties, parliaments and governments. It reports on their successes,
their difficulties and their expectations. Statistics and records
of personal experience enliven the text and sharpen its focus.
PARTICIPATION OF WOMEN IN POLITICAL LIFE
From 5 to 9 June 2000, the United Nations General Assembly will hold a Special Session to take stock of national, regional and
international follow-up to the Declaration and Platform for Action
adopted by the Fourth World Conference on Women, held in Beijing
in September 1995. Subtitled "An assessment of developments in national parliaments,
political parties, government and the Inter-Parliamentary Union,
five years after the Fourth World Conference on Women", the
study analyses answers received from parliaments and political
parties to the surveys undertaken since October 1998 on follow-up
to Beijing. This study will be brought to the attention of the
United Nations as a contribution to the Special Session of the
General Assembly.
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WOMEN IN POLITICS -
WORLD BIBLIOGRAPHY (1999)
The new edition of this bilingual bibliography covers some 650 titles concerning 99 countries. For a more detailed presentation of the bibliography, visit a special page at this site. The stock having been exhausted, this publication is no longer available.
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WOMEN IN POLITICS -
WORLD BIBLIOGRAPHY (1998)
This bilingual bibliography (English and French) has been designed as a reference tool for persons carrying out research on or wishing to know about the literature existing around the world on the theme of women in politics. It covered some 500 titles presented in four different sections - International Perspective, Regional Perspective, Country-by-Country Perspective (86 countries), and Thematic Perspective - and also contains a section on those Internet sites which present data on women in politics. The stock having been exhausted, this publication is no longer available.
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MEN AND WOMEN IN POLITICS:
DEMOCRACY STILL IN THE MAKING
In late 1996, the IPU launched a new substantive enquiry among
the 180 existing Parliaments to gather data in three key areas:
women in political parties; the electoral process and the way
in which women reach elective office; the political space occupied
by women in national Parliaments. A comparative world study was
prepared and designed to be one of the main thought-provoking
inputs for the specialized Inter-Parliamentary Conference on the
subject “Towards partnership between men and women in
politics” (New Delhi, 14-18 February 1997). This comparative study is complemented by a color-coded poster containing a summary of some aspects of the study and including a new world map on Women in Parliaments as at 1 January 1997. The stock of this publication in English having been exhausted, the publication is available in French only.
TOWARDS PARTNERSHIP
BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN IN POLITICS
Following the New Delhi Conference, the IPU issued an illustrated brochure containing the New Delhi Declaration summing up the Conference's many ideas and proposals on how to address the current gender gap in politics and the resulting democratic deficit; the text of speeches and interventions made; summaries of the work of the Media Round Table, Thematic Discussions, and Regional Workshops that took place during the Conference; comments from participants on topics such as democracy, partnership, the electoral process, financing of electoral campaigns, the image of women politicians in the media, and the full list of participants.
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WOMEN IN PARLIAMENTS: 1945-1995
At the same time, the IPU continued to gather data on women in
Parliaments and in 1995 published a new study on this subject.
In addition to fact-sheets on each country having a Parliament
or having established one at a given time during the past 50 years,
this study contains comparative tables and analyses on women's
suffrage, on their access to Parliament and on women Speakers
of Parliament. It includes in particular a worldwide and regional
time-table showing the dates when women acquired the right to
vote and stand for election, an overview at the world and regional
level of their presence in Parliaments in 1995 and an analysis
of the progress and set-backs they have experienced in 50 years
of parliamentary history. This study was accompanied by a new
version of the poster "Women in Parliaments as at 30 June
1995".
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PLAN OF ACTION
The data gathered during the worldwide surveys and the debates
on the sharing of political responsibilities between men and women
having highlighted the main points of imbalance, the IPU felt
in late 1991 that the time had come to define the means required
to remedy the situation. It then decided to consult all members
of the Organization on the means they advocated, taking account
of their own political and cultural contexts, to redress the situation
and, on the basis of the response, to work out a Plan of Action
to correct present imbalances in the participation of men and
women in political life.
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WOMEN AND POLITICAL POWER
In early 1992, the IPU published the results of a substantive survey of all the world's Parliaments concerning women's participation in political life. The study contained factual data, statistics and analyses and covered women's suffrage and women's exercise of the right to vote, their political training, their situation in political parties, “affirmative action” measures such as quotas adopted by certain parties to facilitate women's access to elective offices, and the posts held by women in Parliaments and Governments. The stock having been exhausted, this publication is no longer available.
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STUDY ON THE DISTRIBUTION OF SEATS
IN NATIONAL PARLIAMENTS
In 1991, the IPU launched a new series of enquiries in all Parliaments concerning women. In addition to a new version of the poster on Women in Parliaments as at 30 June 1991, it published an up-dated and considerably enriched edition of the 1985 and 1987 studies on the distribution of seats between men and women in national Parliaments. The information covered the entire period from 1945 to June 1991 and was presented both by country and in the form of tables enabling worldwide and regional comparisons to be made.
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STUDY ON WOMEN IN POLITICS
In 1988, the part of the 1987 survey on women's participation in political life was up-dated and widely circulated as a separate publication.
FIRST WORLD MAP OF WOMEN IN PARLIAMENTS
In April 1988, the IPU published its first colour-coded poster
in the form of a world map showing the percentage of women in
the 145 national Parliaments existing as at 1 January 1988. This
visual tool had an immediate and resounding impact. In the following year, a new poster covering the 145 Parliaments
operating as at 30 June 1989 was published ahead of the IPU's
Centenary Conference (London, September 1989) and the Inter-Parliamentary
Symposium on The participation of women in the political and
parliamentary decision-making process (Geneva, November 1989).
It was jointly distributed throughout the world by the IPU and
the United Nations.
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PRIORITY GIVEN TO
WOMEN'S PARTICIPATION IN POLITICAL LIFE
In 1986, the IPU launched a second worldwide survey on the status of women, the results of which were presented to the Inter-Parliamentary Council at its meeting in Bangkok in October 1987. The Council noted that the part of the report on women's participation in political life was particularly interesting and drew the conclusion that, as a political organization composed of men and women politicians, the IPU was particularly well placed to make - in what was still a largely unexplored field - an innovative and interesting contribution to the work carried out by many organizations to promote the status of women, notably the United Nations. It therefore decided that future surveys concerning women should focus on their participation in political life and the decision-making process and should be carried out at four-yearly intervals.
NEW STATUSTICAL SURVEY
At the same time, the IPU continued to gather and disseminate
statistics concerning the distribution of seats between men and
women in national Parliaments. A study on this subject was published
in 1987.
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FIRST WORLDWIDE STATUS REPORT
ON WOMEN IN PARLIAMENTS
Ten years later, the UN Conference entrusted with studying and assessing the results of the UN Decade for Women met in Nairobi. In response to a request from the UN, a statistical survey on the distribution of seats between men and women in parliamentary assemblies was issued.
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FIRST WORLDWIDE SURVEY
In 1975, to mark the start of the UN-proclaimed Decade for Women and to follow up on the work of the First World Conference on Women (Mexico City, 1975) the IPU published the results of a first survey on the status of women carried out among the 74 member Parliaments of that time.
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