Political rights and participation
The ability of women and girls to participate safely, freely, and equally in political life is a defining feature of a healthy democracy. While women's political participation has increased significantly in recent years, progress remains uneven and is at risk of being reversed. This not only jeopardises the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 5 (SDG 5), but also limits the potential of women and girls to advance sustainable development through their participation and leadership.
What
Equal participation and decision-making power for women in political, private, and public life encompasses a broad range of roles. These include elected officials, voters, activists, human rights defenders, and community and traditional leaders, all of whom influence societal decisions. Efforts to strengthen women's political rights and participation must focus on removing barriers to gender equality, addressing the root causes of exclusion, and ensuring meaningful participation and influence.
Why
Women's political participation is vital for ensuring representation and shaping decisions that impact societies at every level. It guarantees that laws, policies, and strategies reflect the needs of the community. Despite progress, harmful social gender norms and structural barriers persist. For example, women hold only 26.7% of national legislature seats, 35.5% of local civil service roles, and 22.8% of ministerial positions. At this rate, the UN estimates it will take another 130 years to achieve full gender equality in leadership.
Women's underrepresentation in leadership at both the national and global levels limits their impact and hinders societal progress, which is linked to diverse decision-making. Equal societies are known for being peaceful, cohesive and having strong economic growth. Female leadership in political processes leads to decisions that promote equality. Yet, women in power are often relegated to "soft" committees focused on social welfare and healthcare, rather than economic planning or defence.
How
Female participation in climate adaptation and rebuilding following conflict is crucial for safeguarding women's rights and equality as part of the green transition and for sustainable peace. However, women remain underrepresented in climate adaptation and peacebuilding efforts. For example, in 2022, women comprised only 16% of participants in UN-led peace talks, despite being involved in 80% of these discussions.
At the local level, women's leadership has shown substantial benefits. In India, female representatives tend to prioritise essential services like water and sanitation. In Nepal, women's roles in forest user groups have enhanced forest management and climate resilience. In the Philippines, female participation in local councils improves disaster preparedness and recovery. These examples highlight the transformative effect of women's leadership, demonstrating that when women are empowered, they bring unique perspectives that foster more inclusive, effective, and sustainable outcomes.
Who/Where
Norway supports both targeted and integrated efforts to achieve gender equality. The Norwegian government's action plan on gender equality includes measures to strengthen women's economic participation and their roles in decision-making processes. This involves supporting authorities in developing and implementing non-discriminatory legislation and policies that promote equal participation in society. Affirmative action, such as quotas, is supported, particularly in sectors where women have traditionally had limited influence.
Norway supports women in making decisions and influencing outcomes individually and collectively. This support extends to women's organisations, political networks and civil society groups. High-quality education is crucial for changing attitudes and equipping women with the knowledge needed to participate actively in society. Protecting female human rights defenders and increasing women's inclusion in peace and climate negotiations is also important. This includes involvement in local negotiations on resource use, peace and stabilisation plans, as well as participation in regional and global forums such as UN climate negotiations and the Security Council.
Norway has established positive, long-term partnerships with multilateral organisations and civil society. Our primary opportunities to influence global and national developments lie in funding and strategic partnerships and diplomatic efforts. At the national level, strategic, knowledge-based dialogue with partners is essential for strengthening women's political rights and participation in humanitarian efforts, peace work and long-term development. Key channels for funding include UN Women, as well as Norwegian and international NGOs. It is vital that this funding also strengthens local women's organisations' and networks. Norway prioritises discriminated groups, including girls, women and LGBTQ+ individuals, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and regions affected by war, conflict and humanitarian crises.
Links
Latest reports
A fair world is an equal world - regjeringen.no
The Norwegian Government’s Action Plan: Women, Peace and Security (2023-2030) - regjeringen.no
Progress on the Sustainable Development Goals: The gender snapshot 2022 | Publications | UN Women – Headquarters
Facts and figures: Women’s leadership and political participation | UN Women – Headquarters
2023 Gender Social Norms Index (GSNI) | Human Development Reports (undp.org)
Women in Parliament 2023 | Inter-Parliamentary Union (ipu.org)
Advancing Women’s Political Participation and Decision Making | International IDEA
Africa takes historic lead in female parliamentary speakers (worldbank.org)
Gender Quotas and Female Leadership (worldbank.org)
Good-Practices-from-ASEAN-on-Ensuring-Gender-Responsive-Disaster-Risk-Reduction.pdf (unwomen.org)
Contact
For further information, please contact the Section for Gender Equality.