Parliament is responsible for promoting democratic governance and ensuring that the provisions of the constitution are upheld and all institutions and agencies of government at every level act constitutionally and in national interest. The parliament consists of elected and/or nominated representatives responsible for making and changing the laws of the country.
Women in Parliament in SADC Member States, 1995-2022
|
Country (No. Women MPs 1995) |
Women MPs 1997(%) |
Women MPs 2000(%) |
Women MPs 2006(%) |
Women MPs 2009(%) |
Women MPs 2012 (%) |
Women MPs 2015(%) |
Women MPs 2017 (%) |
Women MPs 2018 (%) |
Women MPs 2020 (%) |
Women MPs 2022 (%) |
|
Angola (7) |
9.7 |
15.4 |
12.3 |
38.2 |
34.1 |
36.8 |
30.5 |
30.5 |
30 |
29.6 |
|
Botswana(4/47) |
9.0 |
18.2 |
11.3 |
7.9 |
9.5 |
9.5 |
9.5 |
9.5 |
10.8 |
11.1 |
|
Comoros |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
6.1 |
16.7 |
|
DRC |
-- |
-- |
12 |
8.4 (L) 4.6 (U) |
10.4 (L) 4.6 (U) |
8.9 (L) 4.6 (U) |
8.9 (L) 4.6 (U) |
8.9 (L) 4.6 (U) |
12.8 (L) 21.1 (U) |
12.8 (L) 23.9 (U) |
|
Eswatini |
19.0 |
7.3 |
19.0 |
13.6 |
13.6 (L) 40.0 (U) |
6.2 (L) 33.3 (U) |
6.2 (L) 33.3 (U) |
6.2 (L) 33.3 (U) |
9.6 (L) 33.3 ( U) |
12.2 (L) 40.0 ( U) |
|
Lesotho (3/65 L, 8 U) |
12.0 |
10.3 |
14.0 |
25.0 |
25.8 (L) 27.3 (U) |
25.0 (L) 24.2 (U) |
22.1 (L) 25.0 (U) |
22.1 (L) 25.0 (U) |
23.3 (L) 21.9 (U) |
24.4 (L) 21.2 (U) |
|
Madagascar |
-- |
-- |
24.0 |
7.87 |
-- |
19.0 (L) 20.5 (U) |
19.2 (L) 20.6 (U) |
19.2 (L) 20.6 (U) |
15.9 (L) 19.4 (U) |
18.5 (L) 11.1 (U) |
|
Malawi (10/76) |
5.2 |
8.3 |
15.0 |
26.0 |
22.3 |
16.7 |
16.7 |
16.7 |
22.9 |
22.9 |
|
Mauritius |
7.6 |
7.6 |
17.1 |
17.1 |
18.6 |
11.6 |
11.6 |
11.6 |
20 |
20 |
|
Mozambique(61/25) |
28.4 |
28.6 |
32.8 |
39.2 |
39.2 |
39.6 |
39.6 |
39.6 |
41.2 |
42.4 |
|
Namibia(6/72) |
19.4 |
19.2 |
31.0 |
24.4 |
24.4 (L) 26.9 (U) |
41.3 (L) 23.8 (U) |
41.3 (L) 23.8 (U) |
46.2 (L) 24.4 (U) |
42.7(L) 19 (U) |
4.2(L) 14.3 (U) |
|
Seychelles |
27.3 |
24.0 |
29.4 |
23.5 |
43.8 |
43.8 |
21.2 |
21.2 |
21.2 |
22.9 |
|
South Africa (101/400) |
27.8 |
29.8 |
32.8 |
42.3 |
42.3 (L) 32.1 (U) |
42.4(L) 35.2 (U) |
41.8(L) 35.2 (U) |
42.2(L) 35.2 (U) |
46.4 (L) 37.7 (U) |
46.7 (L) 32 (U) |
|
Tanzania (28/248) |
16.3 |
21.2 |
30.4 |
30.4 |
36.0 |
36.6 |
37.2 |
37.2 |
36.9 |
36.9 |
|
Zambia |
18.1 |
10.0 |
12.0 |
14.0 |
11.5 |
12.7 |
18.0 |
18.0 |
18 |
15.1 |
|
Zimbabwe (22/150) |
14.0 |
10.7 |
16.0 |
15.2 |
15.0 (L) 24.7 (U) |
31.5(L) 47.5 (U) |
32.6 (L) 48.1 (U) |
33.2(L) 48.1 (U) |
31.9 (L) 43.8 ( U) |
30.6 (L) 44.2 ( U) |
(L) Lower House (U) Upper House
Half of the SADC Member States use a single Parliamentary system without an Upper House
Note that Madagascar joined SADC in 2005 and Comoros joined SADC in 2018
Source National progress reports on implementation of the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development; National Parliaments; SADC Gender Monitor 1999, 2001, 2006, 2009, 2013; 2018, 2020, 2022 Inter-Parliamentary Union
Woman Presiding Officers of Parliament / Senate / National Council
|
County |
Chamber |
Full name and Period |
Date of appointment |
|
Botswana |
National assembly |
Hon Dr Margaret Nasha October 2009-october 2014 |
|
|
eSwatini |
Senate |
Hon Gelane Zwane 2008 |
|
|
Lindiwe Dlamini October 2018-Present |
|||
|
Lesotho |
National Assembly Senate |
Hon Ntlhoi Motsamai 1999 - 2012 March 2015 – 2017 June |
|
|
Mamonaheng Mokitimi July 2017 -Present |
|||
|
Madagascar |
National assembly |
Christine Razanamahasoa 16 July 2019-Present |
|
|
Malawi |
National Assembly |
Catherine Gotani Hara 19 June 2019-Present |
|
|
Mozambique |
Assembly of the Republic |
Esperanca Laurinda
Francisco Nhiuane Bias January 2020- Present |
|
|
South Africa |
National Assembly |
Hon Frene Ginwala May 1994-2004 July |
|
|
Hon Baleka Mbete May 2014 -May 2019 |
|||
|
Nosiviwe Noluthula
Mapisa-Nqakula August 2021- Present |
|||
|
Tanzania |
National assembly |
Hon Anne Makinda November 2010-november
2015 |
|
|
Tulia Ackson February 2022 |
|||
|
Zambia |
National assembly |
Nelly Butete Kashumba
Mutti September 2021-Present |
|
|
Zimbabwe |
Senate |
Hon Edna Madzongwe November 2005-September
2018 |
|
|
Mabel M. Chinomona September 2018-Present |
|||
Women in National Parliaments – World Averages by Region 2022
|
|
Single House % |
Upper House % |
Both Houses % |
|
Nordic countries |
44.7 |
--- |
44.7 |
|
Americans |
33.9 |
33.3 |
33.8 |
|
Europe - OSCE member countries |
36.7 |
32.2 |
35.2 |
|
Southern Europe |
29.2 |
36.9 |
30.8 |
|
Central and Eastern Europe |
25.6 |
20.0 |
24.9 |
|
Sub-Saharan Africa |
26.0 |
25.2 |
25.9 |
|
Asia |
21.1 |
18.2 |
20.7 |
|
Arab States |
--- |
--- |
--- |
|
Pacific |
17.9 |
46.6 |
20.9 |
Data
compiled by the Inter-Parliamentary Union on the basis of information provided
by National Parliaments
by 1 March 2022.
Percentages do not take into account Parliaments for which no data was
available at that date.
Regions are classified by
descending order of the percentage of women in the Single or Lower House.
Women in National Parliaments – World Average 2022
|
World Average - Single or Lower House |
World Average - Upper House or Senate
|
World Average -- Both Houses Combined |
|||
|
Total MPs |
38 434 |
Total MPs |
7 451 |
Total MPs |
45 885 |
|
Gender
breakdown known for |
38 377 |
Gender
breakdown known for |
7 451 |
Gender
breakdown known for |
45 828 |
|
Men |
28 326 |
Men |
5 570 |
Men |
33 896 |
|
Women |
10 051 |
Women |
1 881 |
Women |
11 932 |
|
Global %
women |
26.2% |
Global %
women |
25.2% |
Global %
women |
26.0% |
Women in National Parliaments – Regional and Global Rankings for SADC Member States, March 2022
|
Regional Rank |
Global Rank |
Country |
Lower or
Single House |
Upper
House/ Senate/ National Council |
||||||
|
Election Year |
Total Seats |
Women |
% Women |
Election Year |
TotalSeats |
Women |
% Women |
|||
|
1 |
9 |
South Africa |
05.2019 |
396 |
185 |
46.7 |
05.2019 |
54 |
20 |
37.0 |
|
2 |
17 |
Namibia |
11.2019 |
104 |
46 |
44.2 |
12.2020 |
42 |
6 |
14.3 |
|
3 |
21 |
Mozambique |
10.2019 |
250 |
106 |
42.4 |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
|
4 |
37 |
Tanzania |
10.2020 |
388 |
143 |
36.8 |
-- |
-- |
-- |
|
|
5 |
58 |
Zimbabwe |
07.2018 |
265 |
81 |
30.6 |
07.2018 |
77.0 |
34.0 |
44.2 |
|
6 |
62 |
Angola |
08.2017 |
220 |
65 |
29.6 |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
|
7 |
62 |
Lesotho |
06.2017 |
115 |
28 |
24 |
07.2017 |
33 |
7 |
21.2 |
|
8 |
101 |
Seychelles |
10.2020 |
35 |
8 |
22.9 |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
|
9 |
101 |
Malawi |
05.2019 |
192 |
44 |
22.9 |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
|
10 |
117 |
Mauritius |
11.2019 |
70 |
14 |
20.0 |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
|
11 |
126 |
Madagascar |
05.2019 |
151 |
28 |
18.5 |
12.2020 |
18 |
2 |
11.1 |
|
12 |
135 |
Comoros |
01.2020 |
24 |
4 |
16.7
|
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
|
13 |
141 |
Zambia |
08.2021 |
166 |
25 |
15.1 |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
|
14 |
153 |
DRC |
12.2018 |
500 |
64 |
12.8 |
03.2019 |
109 |
26 |
23.9 |
|
15 |
157 |
Swaziland |
09.2018 |
74 |
9 |
12.2 |
10.2018 |
30 |
12 |
40.0 |
|
16 |
160 |
Botswana |
10.2019 |
63 |
7 |
11.1 |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
|
Source IPU
using information provided by National Parliaments at 1 march 2022 |
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