Geneva - There were more women in government now than at any previous time with the tiny African country of Rwanda leading the way, according to figures published on Tuesday.
An annual survey by the Inter-Parliamentary Union, IPU, said women now represented 17,7 percent of legislators in the world, up 2 percent in 2007 on the previous year representing an all time high.
Rwanda topped the table showing the proportion of women in lower or single chamber parliaments with 48,8 percent. Sweden (47), Finland (41,5) and Argentina (40) were close behind, followed by the Netherlands, Denmark, Costa Rica, Spain, Norway and Cuba completing the leading ten countries.
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IPU Secretary General Anders Johnsson said: "There has been a slow but steady increase in the numbers of women elected to Parliament in the past year."
The regional average showed Europe in the lead (20,3 percent) bolstered mainly by the Nordic countries (41,4), pushing the Americas into second place 20,6) with the Arab States in third (9).
"Overall it is a picture of positive change," said Johnsson describing the situation as "slow progress." More than half the world's countries still had less than 10 percent of women in their legislatures.
Kyrgyzstan had made the most progress, going from zero women to 25,6 percent after proportional representation was introduced in 2007 elections with parties required to field a third of women candidates.
Rwanda had topped the table for the last few years due to a quota system brought in after the serious political upheaval in the country. - Sapa-dpa
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