Year: 2025

BGIPU was represented by Dame Karen Bradley MP, Baroness Hooper and Dan Carden MP

IPU Global Conference of Women Parliamentarians calls for gender parity in parliament

The IPU concluded its Global Conference of Women Parliamentarians, held on 14 and 15 March 2025 in Mexico City, Mexico, emphasizing the urgent need for gender parity in parliaments worldwide. The Conference, attended by some 380 parliamentarians from 56 countries, as well as representatives from the Government of Mexico, international organizations and civil society, highlighted successful […]

According to the 2025 edition of the IPU-UN Women Women in Politics map, men outnumber women by more than three times in executive and legislative positions.

IPU analyses political leadership roles in 2025: Men continue to dominate

New data from the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and UN Women reveals limited progress in achieving gender equality in political leadership at the start of 2025, the year which marks the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the landmark UN framework which set out the roadmap for gender equality and women’s rights. […]

Lebanese Nationality Campaign sit in, My Nationality Is a Right For Me and My Family, 2019

Achieving the Beijing Declaration’s goals requires gender-equal nationality rights

As we mark International Women’s Day 2025 and the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), the Global Campaign for Equal Nationality Rights, Equality Now, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and UN Women are calling for expedited action to end gender discrimination in nationality laws and recommit to efforts to achieve gender-equal nationality rights around the […]

The 2024 election to the United Kingdom House of Commons resulted in a record 40% of seats being held by women, including 50 women MPs from Black and minority backgrounds, up from 39 in the previous Parliament. © House of Commons UK

Parliamentary gender gap narrowed in past 30 years but progress stalled in 2024

A new IPU report analysing three decades of women in national parliaments reveals that the percentage of seats held by women has risen from 11.3% in 1995 to 27.2% in 2025. The IPU report Women in parliament 1995-2025 commemorates 30 years since the 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the landmark UN framework which set out […]

Delegation pictured on the House of Commons terrace with members of BGIPU Executive Committee

Delegation from Albania help to deepen already strong ties between two countries

BGIPU had the pleasure of hosting a delegation from the Parliament of the Republic of Albania from Monday 24 February to Tuesday 25 February. The delegation was led by Mr Lavdrim Krashi, Chair of the Albania-UK Friendship group and was comprised of Jorida Tabaku, Pandeli Majko, Pranvera Resulaj and Bledjon Nallbati. They were accompanied by […]

Delegation pictured with the Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs.

Delegation to Indonesia discuss need for collaboration on defence and increasing trade

A BGIPU cross party delegation visit to Indonesia took place during the February recess between 15 and 21 February with representatives from both Houses of Parliament. As delegation leader I was joined by John Slinger MP, Chris Webb MP, Graham Stuart MP, Baroness Northover, Lord Rennard and Joe Perry from the BGIPU secretariat. The key […]

President Claudia Sheinbaum will open the conference on 13 March.

IPU to hold a global conference of women parliamentarians in Mexico

The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) is pleased to announce the Global Conference of Women Parliamentarians From Mexico to the World: Let’s mobilize for gender parity! which will be held in Mexico City from 13 to 16 March 2025. The Conference is being jointly organized by the IPU and the Senate of Mexico. The Conference aims to identify successful […]

Delegation pictured with the President of the Assemblee Nationale, SEM Adama Bictogo.

Delegation to Côte d’Ivoire discuss development and the need for closer ties

I am delighted to have led a recent British Group Inter-Parliamentary Union visit to Côte d’Ivoire in February, especially in light of the upcoming Presidential election in October 2025. Alongside my fellow delegates Baroness Blackstone, Jeremy Corbyn MP, Marsha De Cordova MP, Baroness Hooper and Kate Osamor MP, we were able to gain a fantastic […]

Senate of Chile, Committee on Future Challenges, Science, Technology and Innovation

Anticipating tomorrow: How expert insights enhance parliamentary foresight

Parliament can strengthen its capacity to design forward-looking national strategies and foster foresight-based governance by collaborating with external experts to leverage collective intelligence. This approach allows parliament to overcome its internal resource limitations and anticipate future challenges by integrating external knowledge and expertise to create innovative solutions. For this reason, many parliaments actively engage with […]

Foresight Centre of the Estonian Parliament

Future-focused research: IPU explores Parliamentary innovations across the globe

The United Nations Development Programme defines Parliamentary Committees for the Future, which exist under various names, as “parliamentary bodies responsible for issues related to anticipating and prospecting the future in the context of parliamentary activity”. The first such committee was established by the Parliament of Finland in 1993, pioneering a parliamentary approach to addressing long-term national strategies […]