Rwanda has the Highest Percentage of Elected Female Lawmakers in the World

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Rwanda has the Highest Percentage of Elected Female Lawmakers in the World

Last Updated: 6/27/2008 9:27:00 AM

Women hold nearly half the seats in Rwanda's parliament, the highest percentage of women lawmakers in the world.....

The Rwandan Parliament in session

According to data compiled by the Inter-Parliamentary Union on the basis of information provided by National Parliaments in April 2008, Rwanda has the highest percentage of elected female officials in the world.

188 countries were surveyed and ranked by the order of the percentage of women in the lower or single House. 6 African countries made it into the top twenty in the world. ClickAfrique has listed the Africans countries and their ranking in descending order below.

AFRICAN CLASSIFICATION

African Rank World Rank Country Lower or single House Upper House or Senate
Elections Seats* W % W Elections Seats* W % W
1 1 Rwanda 10 2003 80 39 48,8% 9 2003 26 9 34,6%

2 12 Mozambique 12 2004 250 87 34,8% --- --- --- ---

3 15 South Africa ¹ 4 2004 400 132 33,0% 4 2004 54 22 40,7%

4 18 Uganda 2 2006 332 102 30,7% --- --- --- ---

5 19 Burundi 7 2005 118 36 30,5% 7 2005 49 17 34,7%

6 20 Tanzania 12 2005 319 97 30,4% --- --- --- ---

7 27 Namibia 11 2004 78 21 26,9% 11 2004 26 7 26,9%

8 34 Lesotho 2 2007 120 30 25,0% 3 2007 31 9 29,0%

9 37 Seychelles 5 2007 34 8 23,5% --- --- --- ---

10 41 Tunisia 10 2004 189 43 22,8% 7 2005 111 17 15,3%

11 44 Mauritania 11 2006 95 21 22,1% 1 2007 56 9 16,1%

12 45 Eritrea 2 1994 150 33 22,0% --- --- --- ---

" 45 Senegal 6 2007 150 33 22,0% 8 2007 100 40 40,0%

14 46 Ethiopia 5 2005 529 116 21,9% 10 2005 112 21 18,8%

15 59 Guinea 6 2002 114 22 19,3% --- --- --- ---

16 63 Cape Verde 1 2006 72 13 18,1% --- --- --- ---

" 63 Sudan 8 2005 443 80 18,1% 8 2005 50 3 6,0%

18 64 Equatorial Guinea 4 2004 100 18 18,0% --- --- --- ---

19 66 Mauritius 7 2005 70 12 17,1% --- --- --- ---

20 69 Gabon 12 2001 120 20 16,7% 2 2003 91 14 15,4%

21 74 Burkina Faso 5 2007 111 17 15,3% --- --- --- ---

22 75 Zambia 9 2006 158 24 15,2% --- --- --- ---

23 76 Angola 9 1992 220 33 15,0% --- --- --- ---

24 80 Guinea-Bissau 3 2004 100 14 14,0% --- --- --- ---

25 81 Cameroon 7 2007 180 25 13,9% --- --- --- ---

26 82 Djibouti 2 2008 65 9 13,8% --- --- --- ---

27 84 Zimbabwe 3 2008 207 28 13,5% 3 2008 93 ? ?

28 86 Sierra Leone 8 2007 121 16 13,2% --- --- --- ---

29 87 Malawi 5 2004 193 25 13,0% --- --- --- ---

30 88 Liberia 10 2005 64 8 12,5% 10 2005 30 5 16,7%

31 89 Niger 12 2004 113 14 12,4% --- --- --- ---

32 97 Botswana 10 2004 63 7 11,1% --- --- --- ---

" 97 Togo 10 2007 81 9 11,1% --- --- --- ---

34 98 Ghana 12 2004 230 25 10,9% --- --- --- ---

35 99 Benin 3 2003 83 9 10,8% --- --- --- ---

" 99 Swaziland 10 2003 65 7 10,8% 10 2003 30 11 36,7%

37 100 Central African Republic 3 2005 105 11 10,5% --- --- --- ---

" 100 Morocco 9 2007 325 34 10,5% 9 2006 270 3 1,1%

39 101 Mali 7 2007 147 15 10,2% --- --- --- ---

40 103 Gambia 1 2002 53 5 9,4% --- --- --- ---

41 107 Cote d'Ivoire 12 2000 203 18 8,9% --- --- --- ---

42 110 Democratic Republic of the Congo 7 2006 500 42 8,4% 1 2007 108 5 4,6%

43 111 Somalia 8 2004 256 21 8,2% --- --- --- ---

44 112 Madagascar 9 2007 127 10 7,9% 3 2001 90 10 11,1%

45 113 Algeria 5 2007 389 30 7,7% 12 2006 136 4 2,9%

46 114 Congo 6 2007 137 10 7,3% 10 2005 60 8 13,3%

47 115 Kenya ² 12 2007 207 15 7,2% --- --- --- ---

48 117 Nigeria 4 2007 358 25 7,0% 4 2007 109 9 8,3%

49 122 Chad 4 2002 155 8 5,2% --- --- --- ---

50 127 Comoros 4 2004 33 1 3,0% --- --- --- ---

51 130 Egypt 11 2005 442 8 1,8% 6 2007 264 18 6,8%

51 130 Sao Tome and Principe 3 2006 55 1 1,8% --- --- --- ---

* Figures correspond to the number of seats currently filled in Parliament
W Figures correspond to the number of seats currently filled in Parliament by women

1 - South Africa: The figures on the distribution of seats do not include the 36 special rotating delegates appointed on an ad hoc basis, and all percentages given are therefore calculated on the basis of the 54 permanent seats.
2 - Kenya: Situation for 1 January 2008 for directly elected members endorsed by the electoral commission. The additional twelve appointed seats and two ex-officio seats had yet to be filled.

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African Rank	World Rank	Country	Lower or single House				Upper House or Senate
African Rank	World Rank	Country	Elections	Seats*	W	% W	Elections	Seats*	W	% W
1	1	Rwanda	10 2003	80	39	48,8%	9 2003	26	9	34,6%
2	12	Mozambique	12 2004	250	87	34,8%	---	---	---	---
3	15	South Africa ¹	4 2004	400	132	33,0%	4 2004	54	22	40,7%
4	18	Uganda	2 2006	332	102	30,7%	---	---	---	---
5	19	Burundi	7 2005	118	36	30,5%	7 2005	49	17	34,7%
6	20	Tanzania	12 2005	319	97	30,4%	---	---	---	---
7	27	Namibia	11 2004	78	21	26,9%	11 2004	26	7	26,9%
8	34	Lesotho	2 2007	120	30	25,0%	3 2007	31	9	29,0%
9	37	Seychelles	5 2007	34	8	23,5%	---	---	---	---
10	41	Tunisia	10 2004	189	43	22,8%	7 2005	111	17	15,3%
11	44	Mauritania	11 2006	95	21	22,1%	1 2007	56	9	16,1%
12	45	Eritrea	2 1994	150	33	22,0%	---	---	---	---
"	45	Senegal	6 2007	150	33	22,0%	8 2007	100	40	40,0%
14	46	Ethiopia	5 2005	529	116	21,9%	10 2005	112	21	18,8%
15	59	Guinea	6 2002	114	22	19,3%	---	---	---	---
16	63	Cape Verde	1 2006	72	13	18,1%	---	---	---	---
"	63	Sudan	8 2005	443	80	18,1%	8 2005	50	3	6,0%
18	64	Equatorial Guinea	4 2004	100	18	18,0%	---	---	---	---
19	66	Mauritius	7 2005	70	12	17,1%	---	---	---	---
20	69	Gabon	12 2001	120	20	16,7%	2 2003	91	14	15,4%
21	74	Burkina Faso	5 2007	111	17	15,3%	---	---	---	---
22	75	Zambia	9 2006	158	24	15,2%	---	---	---	---
23	76	Angola	9 1992	220	33	15,0%	---	---	---	---
24	80	Guinea-Bissau	3 2004	100	14	14,0%	---	---	---	---
25	81	Cameroon	7 2007	180	25	13,9%	---	---	---	---
26	82	Djibouti	2 2008	65	9	13,8%	---	---	---	---
27	84	Zimbabwe	3 2008	207	28	13,5%	3 2008	93	?	?
28	86	Sierra Leone	8 2007	121	16	13,2%	---	---	---	---
29	87	Malawi	5 2004	193	25	13,0%	---	---	---	---
30	88	Liberia	10 2005	64	8	12,5%	10 2005	30	5	16,7%
31	89	Niger	12 2004	113	14	12,4%	---	---	---	---
32	97	Botswana	10 2004	63	7	11,1%	---	---	---	---
"	97	Togo	10 2007	81	9	11,1%	---	---	---	---
34	98	Ghana	12 2004	230	25	10,9%	---	---	---	---
35	99	Benin	3 2003	83	9	10,8%	---	---	---	---
"	99	Swaziland	10 2003	65	7	10,8%	10 2003	30	11	36,7%
37	100	Central African Republic	3 2005	105	11	10,5%	---	---	---	---
"	100	Morocco	9 2007	325	34	10,5%	9 2006	270	3	1,1%
39	101	Mali	7 2007	147	15	10,2%	---	---	---	---
40	103	Gambia	1 2002	53	5	9,4%	---	---	---	---
41	107	Cote d'Ivoire	12 2000	203	18	8,9%	---	---	---	---
42	110	Democratic Republic of the Congo	7 2006	500	42	8,4%	1 2007	108	5	4,6%
43	111	Somalia	8 2004	256	21	8,2%	---	---	---	---
44	112	Madagascar	9 2007	127	10	7,9%	3 2001	90	10	11,1%
45	113	Algeria	5 2007	389	30	7,7%	12 2006	136	4	2,9%
46	114	Congo	6 2007	137	10	7,3%	10 2005	60	8	13,3%
47	115	Kenya ²	12 2007	207	15	7,2%	---	---	---	---
48	117	Nigeria	4 2007	358	25	7,0%	4 2007	109	9	8,3%
49	122	Chad	4 2002	155	8	5,2%	---	---	---	---
50	127	Comoros	4 2004	33	1	3,0%	---	---	---	---
51	130	Egypt	11 2005	442	8	1,8%	6 2007	264	18	6,8%
51	130	Sao Tome and Principe	3 2006	55	1	1,8%	---	---	---	---

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Rwanda has the Highest Percentage of Elected Female Lawmakers in the World

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