Governance and Leadership in the Pacific: Options to Increase Female Participation, 2010

Despite a large amount of funding and numerous programs dedicated to improving governance in the Pacific region, the female parliamentary participation rate within the Pacific currently stands at 4.2% – the lowest in the world.

Between the years of 1995-2008, Arab states (female participation rate 8.8%) and Sub-Saharan African states (female participation rate 18.6%) increased their female parliamentary participation rates by 5.3 per cent and 7.5 per cent respectively, while Pacific participation rates increased by just 1.7 per cent.

Addressing the issue of low female parliamentary participation is a complex task, and should involve a multi-layered approach.