Month: March 2026

The Istanbul 15 July Martyrs Bridge over the Bosphorus © GNAT

152nd IPU Assembly to take place in Türkiye from 15-19 April 2026

The Inter Parliamentary Union (IPU) will convene its 152nd Assembly in Istanbul, Türkiye, from 15 to 19 April 2026. Hosted by the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye, the overall theme of the event is Nurturing hope, securing peace and ensuring justice for future generations. Against a backdrop of unfolding and ongoing wars, with severe humanitarian consequences, in […]

The IPU-UN Women map, presents global rankings for women in executive and government positions as of 1 January 2026.

Only 1 in 7 countries is led by a woman as global political power remains dominated by men

New Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) – UN Women data shows women remain far from having equal political power, holding just 22.4% of cabinet posts and 27.5% of parliamentary seats worldwide. Across the world, women remain vastly under-represented in political leadership, with the most powerful decisions still overwhelmingly made by men. In 2026, only 28 countries are led by […]

Voters stand in line at a polling station during general elections in Jesus de Machaca, Bolivia, Sunday, Aug. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Juan Karita)

IPU Report concludes that women’s representation in parliament sees sluggish gains

As of 1 January 2026, women hold 27.5% of national parliamentary seats worldwide, up modestly from 27.2% in 2025, according to the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) report Women in parliament 2025. This 0.3 percentage point increase matches 2024’s rate, marking the slowest growth since 2017 for the second consecutive year. The report is based on IPU data […]

Buildings destroyed by U.S.-Israeli attacks in Tehran, Iran, on 2 March 2026. (photo by Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via AFP)

Inter-Parliamentary Union leadership statement on conflict in Middle East

The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), the global organization of parliaments, was founded on the principles of parliamentary dialogue and diplomacy for peace and democracy. As such, we condemn the military strikes carried out by Israel and the United States of America on the Islamic Republic of Iran. We likewise condemn the retaliatory attacks launched by the […]