Gender parity in the new European Commission is a huge success, as is the number of countries reaching parity for their MEPs; but, for true gender equality to exist, women must have equal access and roles in all levels of government including municipal, national and supranational.

Brexit Flags (CreativeCommons) “Flags outside Parliament” by ChiralJon is licensed under CC BY 2.0

As the UK continues to Brexit, we’ll continue to look for the women missing from the national conversation.

New Zealand’s actions for gender and Indigenous inclusion are working, it is now just a matter of ensuring Indigenous women have the same voice as their male and non-Indigenous counterparts. 

To achieve progress in women’s representation in many countries, including Brazil, a change in systems which enable and support the disenfranchisement of women and minorities is needed.

Yes, Women Won, but Their Fight for Gender Parity is Far from Over

The Sudanese Women’s Union persists in their hope for a more equal society, stating “long live the Sudanese women’s strife to become partners in the transitional period.”

International Women's Day in Abyei, Sudan: "International Women's Day in Abyei" by NewsHour is licensed under CC BY NC 2.0

Chile is the country with the highest GDP per capita and Human Development Index in South America, yet it was one of the last countries to enact a gender quota law in the region. Though higher levels of economic development should be paired with greater gender parity, the reality is that Chile ranks 84th in the world in terms of the percentage of women in Congress, with just 23 percent in the Lower and Upper Houses.

"Moneda"by TheFutureIsUnwritten is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0

The RepresentWomen team met with a group of politically engaged women from Indonesia this week. They were visiting the United States as part of the U.S. Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program, which connects current and aspiring politicians abroad with their American counterparts. We were happy to sit down with these women to discuss women’s political participation and representation in our respective countries.