Lesotho

Senate

Political system
Parliamentary system
Structure of parliament
Bicameral
IPU membership
Yes

Data on women

Information on the current and historical representation of women in the parliament. Consult the 'Elections' tab to see how women have fared in elections or renewals.

Current representation

Women's representation in the current parliament or chamber

Current number of members
33
Women
8
Percentage of women
24.2%

Speaker

Speaker
Mamonaheng Mokitimi (Female)
Date of birth: 20 Jan 1970
Additional information

Elected on 11 July 2017, re-elected on 3 Nov. 2022.

Secretary general

No information available

Data on age at the start of the legislature

Number of members, by age (2022-11)
Breakdown of members by age and gender
18 - 20 21 - 30 31 - 40 41 - 45 46 - 50 51 - 60 61 - 70 71 - 80 81 - 90 91 and over Totals per gender
Male 0 1 1 5 3 9 6 1 0 0 26
Female 0 0 1 0 1 4 1 0 0 0 7
Totals per age interval 0 1 2 5 4 13 7 1 0 0 33
Total <= 45: 8 Total >= 46: 25
Percentage of members, by age
Age at the last election or renewal Overall Male Female
Percentage of MPs 30 years of age or younger
3.0% 3.0% 0.0%
Percentage of MPs 40 years of age or younger
9.1% 6% 3.0%
Percentage of MPs 45 years of age or younger
24.2% 21% 3.0%

Reserved seats and quotas

There are reserved seats in parliament for certain groups
No
Electoral quota for women
No

First woman in parliament

Year of first woman in parliament
1965

First woman speaker

Year of first woman speaker
2000

Women’s suffrage

Date of independence
1966
Women’s right to vote
1966
Restricted or universal suffrage
Universal

Notes: Prior to independence, under British administration, general elections with universal adult suffrage were held on 30 April 1965. This right was confirmed at independence

Women's right to stand for election
1966
Restricted or universal
No information available

Notes: Prior to independence, under British administration, general elections with universal adult suffrage were held on 30 April 1965. This right was confirmed at independence

Women's caucus

Women's caucuses or parliamentary groups that bring together women parliamentarians to strengthen cooperation and amplify their voices. For other parliamentary bodies or committees that have a specific mandate to address gender equality matters, see the ‘Specialized body – Gender equality’ tab.

Historical data for IPU membership

Historical data for IPU membership
Year IPU membership
2020-09
List of values for 2020-09
No
2019-04
List of values for 2019-04
No
2018-06
List of values for 2018-06
No