Turkey 129th out of 188 countries in women's parliamentary representation

Click for the full-scale map

Click to read the article in Turkish

Turkey's rank in both women's parliamentary and ministerial representation has declined compared to last year, according to the Women in politics 2021 map prepared by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and UN Women.

With a rate of 17.3 percent parliamentary representation of women, Turkey ranked 129th out of 188 countries this year, down from 122nd in 2020.

There are currently 101 women and 483 men lawmakers in the Grand National Assembly.

Having two women ministers in the 17-member cabinet, the country ranked 140th with a representation rate of 11.8 percent. It was 137th last year. The rate of women ministers in the cabinet is 11.8 percent.

The decline in both rankings was down to the slight increase in women's representation in other countries as Turkey's numbers remained the same as last year.

"Inequalities persist"

The data shows all-time highs for the number of countries with women heads of state or government, as well as for the global share of women ministers, noted UN Women.

"Despite increases in the number of women at the highest levels of political power, widespread gender inequalities persist," it said. "Progression in women holding ministerial portfolios has slowed, with just a small increase to from 21.3 percent in 2020 to 21.9 percent in 2021; the number of countries with no women in government has increased; and only 25.5 percent of national parliamentarians are women, compared to 24.9 percent the year before."

"Not good enough"

UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka said, "No country prospers without the engagement of women. We need women's representation that reflects all women and girls in all their diversity and abilities, and across all cultural, social, economic and political situations.

"This year's map shows us that we still need bold decisive action across the world to bring women into the heart of decision-making spaces in large numbers and as full partners. There's no doubt this can and should be done. It should be done now."

IPU Secretary General Martin Chungong said, "This year's growth in the number of women in political decision-making is just not good enough. Especially when you consider that 70 percent of health, care and service workers during this pandemic are women.

"It's up to all of us, both men and women, to keep pushing for greater representation of women in politics. We have the tools to make it happen. What we need now is the political will." (EMK/VK)