Women parliamentary leaders unite in Geneva for gender equality and peace
The 15th Summit of Women Speakers of Parliament drew more than 330 participants from 37 countries, including 30 Women Speakers. Organized by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), in partnership with the Swiss Parliament, the event coincided with several key milestones in the global push for gender equality.
The Summit was an opportunity to refocus attention on gender equality as the world marks the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action — widely regarded as the blueprint for women’s rights — as well as 10 years since the launch of the Sustainable Development Goals and a quarter century since the adoption of the UN’s women, peace and security agenda.
In their final declaration, the Women Speakers voiced their solidarity with all women and girls living in conflict zones and raised concerns about the disproportionate risks they face during wars.
They reaffirmed that gender equality, inclusivity and women’s leadership are essential foundations for sustainable peace and security. They also highlighted that the persistent underrepresentation of women in peace mediation, negotiation and diplomacy remains a significant obstacle to lasting peace.
The declaration called for the urgent adoption of more inclusive and gender-responsive approaches across science and diplomacy — particularly in addressing climate change, regulating emerging technologies and restoring trust in democratic institutions — all seen as vital for sustainable peace.
Citing IPU data, the Summit highlighted that women’s parliamentary representation has more than doubled over the past three decades, rising from 11.3% in 1995 to 27.2% today. The share of women leading parliaments has also doubled, growing from 10.5% to 21.2%. However, this means that women currently hold just 58 out of the 274 Speaker posts worldwide. With these statistics, the Speakers called for gender parity to become a universal norm and political standard.
The Summit declaration will help shape discussions at the upcoming Sixth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament, ensuring that gender equality and women’s empowerment remain at the forefront of the global parliamentary agenda.
The Summit follows the launch in April of the IPU’s 2025 campaign Achieving gender equality, action by action which promotes 10 key actions structured around three key thematic areas: promoting parity in parliament and politics; encouraging gender-sensitive institutions; and combating gender-based violence and discrimination.
© IPU
