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, 1995-2018
|
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 (%) |
|
Angola (7) |
9.7 |
15.4 |
12.3 |
38.2 |
34.1 |
36.8 |
30.5 |
30.5 |
30 |
|
Botswana(4/47) |
9.0 |
18.2 |
11.3 |
7.9 |
9.5 |
9.5 |
9.5 |
9.5 |
10.8 |
|
Comoros |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
6.1 |
|
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) |
|
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) |
|
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) |
|
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) |
|
Malawi (10/76) |
5.2 |
8.3 |
15.0 |
26.0 |
22.3 |
16.7 |
16.7 |
16.7 |
22.9 |
|
Mauritius |
7.6 |
7.6 |
17.1 |
17.1 |
18.6 |
11.6 |
11.6 |
11.6 |
20 |
|
Mozambique(61/25) |
28.4 |
28.6 |
32.8 |
39.2 |
39.2 |
39.6 |
39.6 |
39.6 |
41.2 |
|
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) |
|
Seychelles |
27.3 |
24.0 |
29.4 |
23.5 |
43.8 |
43.8 |
21.2 |
21.2 |
21.2 |
|
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) |
|
Tanzania (28/248) |
16.3 |
21.2 |
30.4 |
30.4 |
36.0 |
36.6 |
37.2 |
37.2 |
36.9 |
|
Zambia |
18.1 |
10.0 |
12.0 |
14.0 |
11.5 |
12.7 |
18.0 |
18.0 |
18 |
|
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) |
(L) Lower House (U) Upper House
Half of the SADC Member States use a single Parliamentary system without an Upper House
--no data 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, Inter-Parliamentary Union
Woman Presiding Officers of Parliament / Senate / National Council
|
1994 |
1999 |
2004 |
2005 |
2008 |
2009 |
2010 |
2014 |
2015 |
|
South Africa Speaker of ParliamentHonFreneGinwala1994-2004 |
Lesotho Speaker of Parliament Hon NtlhoiMotsamai1999-2012 |
South Africa Speaker of ParliamentHonBalekaMbete 2004-2008 |
Zimbabwe President of Senate Hon Edna Madzongwe 2005+ |
Swaziland President of Senate Hon GelaneZwane 2008 - 2013
|
Botswana Speaker of Parliament Hon Dr Margaret Nasha 2009 - 2014
|
Mozambique Presidente,
Assembleia da Republica Hon
Veronica Macamo 2010 + Tanzania Speaker of the Bunge Hon Anne Makinda 2010-2015 |
Botswana Hon Gladys Kokorwe2014+ Madagascar Speaker of Parliament Hon Christine Razanamahasoa
2014- 2014 Mauritus Speaker of Parliament Hon Santi Bai 'Maya' Hanoomanjee2014+
South Africa Speaker of Parliament Hon BalekaMbete2014+ South Africa Chairperson of National Council of Provinces Hon.
ThandiModise 2014+ |
Lesotho Speaker of Parliament Hon NtlhoiMotsamai2015+ Namibia Chairperson to National Council Hon Margret Mensah-Williams 2015 + |
Women in National Parliaments – World Averages by Region
|
|
Single House |
Upper House % |
Both Houses % |
|
Nordic countries |
41.1 |
--- |
--- |
|
Americas |
27.7 |
27.0 |
27.6 |
|
Europe - OSCE member countries |
24.3 |
24.7 |
24.4 |
|
Sub-Saharan Africa |
23.1 |
21.9 |
22.9 |
|
Asia |
19.2 |
15.1 |
18.8 |
|
Arab States |
18.4 |
12.1 |
17.5 |
|
Pacific |
13.5 |
36.0 |
16.0 |
Data
compiled by the Inter-Parliamentary Union on the basis of information provided
by National Parliaments
by 1 June 2016.
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
|
World Average - Single or Lower House |
World Average - Upper House or Senate
|
World Average -- Both Houses Combined |
|||
|
Total MPs |
39 149 |
Total MPs |
6 875 |
Total MPs |
46 024 |
|
Gender
breakdown known for |
38 662 |
Gender
breakdown known for |
6 875 |
Gender
breakdown known for |
45 537 |
|
Men |
29 849 |
Men |
5 371 |
Men |
35 210 |
|
Women |
8 813 |
Women |
1 514 |
Women |
10 327 |
|
Global %
women |
22.8% |
Global %
women |
22.0% |
Global %
women |
22.7% |
Women in National Parliaments – Regional and Global Rankings for SADC Member States, June 2016
|
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 (1) |
4 (5) |
Seychelles |
09.2011 |
32 |
14 |
43.8(43.8) |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
|
2 (2) |
7(8) |
SouthAfricaa |
05.2014 |
399 |
169 |
42.4(42.3) |
05.2014 |
54 |
19 |
35.2 (32.1) |
|
3 (7) |
11(47) |
Namibia |
11.2014 |
104 |
43 |
41.3(24.4) |
12.2015 |
42 (26) |
10 |
23.8 (26.9) |
|
4 (3) |
15(12) |
Mozambique |
10.2014 |
250 |
99 |
39.6(39.2) |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
|
5 (5) |
23(22) |
Angola |
08.2012 |
220 |
81 |
36.8(34.1) |
-- |
-- |
-- |
|
|
6(4) |
25(20) |
Tanzaniab |
10.2015 |
372 |
136 |
36.6(36.0) |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
|
7 (10) |
38(89) |
Zimbabwec |
07.2013 |
270 |
85 |
31.5(15.0) |
07.2013 |
80 |
38 |
47.5(24.7) |
|
8(6) |
67(38) |
Lesotho |
02.2015 |
120 |
30 |
25.0(26.7) |
03.2015 |
33 |
8 |
24.2 (27.3) |
|
9 (-) |
84 (-)
|
Madagascard |
12.2013 |
151 |
31 |
20.5 |
12.2015 |
63 |
12 |
19.0 |
|
10(8) |
110(57) |
Malawi |
05.2014 |
192 |
32 |
16.7 (22.3) |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
|
11 (12) |
138(107) |
Zambia |
09.2011 |
158 |
20 |
12.7 (11.5) |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
|
12(9) |
144(72) |
Mauritius |
10.2014 |
69 |
8 |
11.6 (18.8) |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
|
13 (14) |
155 (124) |
Botswanae |
10.2014 |
63 |
6 |
9.5 (7.9)
|
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
|
14 (13) |
161 (117) |
DRC |
11.2011 |
492 |
44 |
8.9 (8.9) |
01.2007 |
108 |
5 |
4.6(5.6) |
|
15 (11) |
171 (97) |
Swazilandf |
09.2013 |
65 |
4 |
6.2 (13.6) |
10.2013 |
30 |
10 |
33.3 (40) |
|
Source IPU
using information provided by National Parliaments at 1 June 2016 |
||||||||||