September 22, 2002	Sunday	Rajab 14, 1423

GENEVA, Sept 21: Women remain largely under-represented in the world’s parliaments with on average 14.7 per cent of deputies being women, the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) said in a report published Saturday.

Referring to an “unfinished democracy”, the IPU said the figure had increased slightly, compared to 12.8 per cent of female parliamentarians in January 2000.

Five north European countries — Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway and Iceland — remain at the top of the table averaging nearly 40 per cent female representation in their parliaments.

Sweden is the champion, according to the latest IPU figures, drawn up on September 20 and based on information provided by 180 national parliaments, with 45.3 per cent of women in its parliament.

“A score we’ve never seen in the history of the world,” Anders Johnsson, IPU secretary-general and a Swede, said.

“It’s not bad,” he added modestly.

Thanks to the strong Nordic performance, Europe, including Russia in 89th place, heads the table of continents with 16.9 per cent female parliamentary representation.

Following in second place is the Americas with 16.4 per cent, the Pacific region with 15.2 per cent, Asia with 14.9 per cent and sub-Saharan Africa with 13.5 per cent.

In Arab countries in north Africa and the Middle East have, women make up 4.7 per cent of their parliamentary representatives.

Bringing up the rear of the table are Kuwait, United Arab Emirates and Djibouti which have no women. Niger has one, Yemen two, Morocco and Lebanon three and Jordan four.

Of the 180 countries surveyed, 16 provided no information to the IPU on their female members of parliament.

Sweden also topped the table when it came to women serving in the lower house of parliament, or in a single house of parliament, with 38 per cent.

Next come Finland with 36.5 per cent, Norway with 36.4 per cent, Costa Rica with 35.1 per cent, Iceland with 34.9 per cent, the Netherlands with 34 per cent, Germany with 31.7 per cent, Argentina with 30.7 per cent and Mozambique with 30 per cent.

France slumped to 61st position with 12.3 per cent of women in its parliament.

It had been 52nd during an earlier assessment by IPU in January 2000.

The United States occupies 56th place with 14 per cent of its deputies in the House of Representatives being women and 13 per cent in the Senate.

Switzerland ranks 27th with 23 per cent of women in the lower House of Representatives and 19.6 per cent in the higher chamber, the Senate.

“The assessment is rather lukewarm,” Liliane Maury Pasquier, president of the Swiss House of Representatives told reporters.

“During the last federal elections, the total number of candidates fell and women still have less chance of being elected than men. Switzerland is therefore still, according to the IPU terms, an unfinished democracy,” she said.

“A society which discriminates against half its population, and it is a question of that, is neither just nor democratic,” she added.

Referring to a fall in the number of women elected recently to European parliaments, including Britain (45th position) and Italy (76th), the Socialist politician said: “These are not very reassuring things.”

The IPU gathers together 142 parliaments and five regional assemblies and begins its annual meeting on Monday.

Representation of women in politics as well as proposals for quotas will figure high on the agenda.

“Men and women do not really want quotas but they recognise that without quotas there is unfortunately no advancement,” Johnsson said.—AFP