Women across the world remain significantly under-represented in political leadership, as the most influential political decisions continue to be dominated by men, according to new data released by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and UN Women.

The report shows that in 2026, only 28 countries are currently led by a woman serving as Head of State or Government, while 101 countries have never had a female leader. The figures highlight persistent gender gaps in global political leadership despite years of advocacy for greater inclusion.

The latest data also reveals stagnation and in some cases regression in women’s representation in executive government positions. The report states that globally, women hold just 22.4 per cent of cabinet ministerial roles, down from 23.3 per cent recorded in 2024, marking a reversal after years of gradual improvement.

However, the report noted that progress remains possible.

“Fourteen countries have achieved gender parity in cabinet positions, demonstrating that balanced political representation can be attained. At the same time, eight countries still have no women serving as ministers. In legislatures, women occupy 27.5 per cent of parliamentary seats worldwide, a marginal increase from 27.2 per cent in 2025.

The rise of only 0.3 percentage points represents the second consecutive year of the slowest growth in women’s parliamentary representation since 2017.

“Women are also losing ground in parliamentary leadership. As of January 2026, only 54 women serve as Speakers of Parliament globally, accounting for 19.9 per cent of the total. This represents nearly a four-percentage-point decline from the previous year and the first drop in the number of female speakers in 21 years,” the report states.

The report further revealed that women in politics face rising hostility and intimidation of which about 76 per cent of women parliamentarians surveyed reported experiencing intimidation from the public, compared with 68 per cent of men.

Executive Director of UN Women, Sima Bahous, warned that excluding women from political leadership weakens societies’ ability to respond to global challenges.

“At a time of growing global instability, escalating conflicts and a visible backlash against women’s rights, shutting women out of political leadership weakens societies’ ability to respond to the challenges they face,” she said.

President of the IPU, Tulia Ackson, described gender parity as both a moral and governance imperative, noting that institutions make better decisions when they reflect the societies they serve.

Similarly, the Secretary-General of the IPU, Martin Chungong, emphasised the importance of well-designed quotas and strong political will in accelerating women’s representation in democratic decision-making.

The report stressed that removing structural barriers, including discriminatory laws, violence against women in politics and unequal access to resources, remains critical to achieving equal political leadership.

It added that the upcoming 70th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women provides a key opportunity to strengthen global commitments to gender equality and reverse the rollback of women’s rights worldwide.