According to data from the UN News Service, in 2026, only 28 countries in the world are led by women, while 101 states have never had a female leader.
When women are excluded from political leadership, many important decisions regarding peace, security, and economic priorities are made without considering the opinions of half the population. A study conducted by the Inter-Parliamentary Union and UN Women revealed stagnation, and in some cases even regression, in the representation of women, especially at the executive levels.
Women hold only 22.4% of ministerial positions worldwide, which is lower than in 2024, indicating a decline after many years of gradual progress. Fourteen countries have achieved gender equality in their governments, while eight states still have no female ministers.
As for parliaments, women occupy 27.5% of seats, which is only slightly above last year's level (27.2%). There is also a decline in parliamentary leadership: as of January 2026, there are 54 female speakers worldwide, accounting for 19.9%, nearly four percentage points lower than the previous year.
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Women politicians face increasing hostility and harassment both online and in real life: 76% of female parliamentarians report receiving threats, compared to 68% among men, which deters many from participating in political life.
Even when women reach leadership positions, they tend to be concentrated in "traditional" areas. For example, they hold 90% of positions in ministries responsible for gender equality and 73% in ministries for family and children. At the same time, men remain almost the sole occupants of ministries of defense, internal affairs, justice, economy, management, health, and education.
