We need more women in parliament, and it’s not currently happening. In fact, 2024 saw the smallest rise in the number of women politicians for 20 years. Achieving equal political representation is not only imperative for gender equity — it’s key to tackling the escalating climate and environmental crisis.
The number of women in parliament doubled worldwide between 1995–2020, but last year’s progress slowed to a snail’s pace — just 0.03%. Of 46 new parliaments elected in 2024, 27 now have fewer women, including those in India, Portugal, South Africa, and the US. At this rate we won’t achieve equal parliamentary representation for generations, which is time we can’t afford to lose.
Why does this matter to the planet?
Women policymakers often adopt more ambitious climate change policies. One study found that increasing women’s representation by 1% in European national parliaments can decrease CO2 emissions by 0.06%, due to higher rates of adoption of cleaner technologies and renewable energy. Another found that raising female representation in Bahrain from 2% to 37% could lead to a six-fold increase in the country’s climate ambition.
Beyond climate change, women leaders are more likely to prioritise environmental initiatives. For example, research in India found there were 62% more drinking water projects in areas with women-led councils than those with men-led councils.
Why is this? Women are disproportionately affected by climate change. When natural disasters occur, women and children are 14 times more likely to die than men, and gender-based violence often increases. Women are also more concerned about the environment, with over 10% more women than men willing to make major lifestyle changes to reduce the effects of climate change.
What’s more: Women’s political empowerment boosts economic growth, reduces corruption and strengthens international aid. Increasing women’s representation by 10% is associated with a 30% rise in aid committed (as a proportion of GDP per capita).
What can we do about it?
Women face several systemic barriers to entering politics and being elected. They experience higher levels of poverty and have more limited access to finance, as well as facing discrimination and exclusionary institutional practices. They also bear more responsibilities of care, to name just a few. But there are various ways governments and wider civil society can help:
1. Enhance education and awareness
Equipping girls and women with the knowledge and skills needed to enter politics is the first step to amplifying the number of women willing and able to participate. Read more about how girls’ education is one of the most powerful ways to tackle the climate crisis.
2. Prevent violence
Women often face violence and discrimination when they do participate in politics. One study found more than 80% of women parliamentarians experienced on-the-job psychological violence, 25% had experienced physical violence, and 20% had experienced sexual violence. Governments can crack down by passing laws to prevent violence against people throughout their careers in politics and to protect people voting in elections. These laws should include holding offenders accountable, ensuring justice for victims, and guaranteeing safe and secure polling stations.
3. Promote fair media coverage
Women politicians gain less media coverage than men, with more attention paid to their appearance and personal lives. Sexually explicit AI-generated deepfake videos are increasingly being used to target and discredit women politicians. Governments can pass laws to ensure balanced media coverage, ban hate speech and discrimination, and tackle the spread of deepfakes and misinformation.
4. Use quotas
Studies show that countries with mandated parliamentary quotas achieve more equal parliaments. On average, women hold 26% of parliamentary seats in countries with legislated quotas, compared to 21% in countries without a target. In 2024, women’s parliamentary representation declined in 12 out of 16 countries without quotas.
5. Encourage economic empowerment
Female political candidates receive 38% less campaign funding than male candidates, according to a recent study. Governments can help bridge the gap by regulating campaign financing to encourage parties to allocate funds to women candidates.
Improving parliamentary representation of women and other underrepresented groups is vital to pass and enforce the policies needed to tackle the climate crisis. We can take individual action by pushing for policies that empower women, supporting women politicians and their parties, and driving broader education and capacity building.
