Panama

National Assembly

Political system
Presidential system
Structure of parliament
Unicameral
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
71
Women
Click for historical data
Percentage of women
0.0%

Speaker

Click for historical data

Secretary general

No information available

Chairs of specialized bodies

Specialized body Theme Name Sex Age
Commission on Women, Children, Youth and Family Commission Gender equality Zulay Rodriguez Female 54

Data on age at the start of the legislature

Number of members, by age
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 No information available
Female
Total <= 45: - Total >= 46: -
Percentage of members, by age
Age at the last election or renewal Overall Male Female
Percentage of MPs 30 years of age or younger
- - -
Percentage of MPs 40 years of age or younger
- - -
Percentage of MPs 45 years of age or younger
- - -

Reserved seats and quotas

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

Notes: Nomination lists of political parties presented for primaries and internal elections should include 50% women. These lists should be certified by a representative of the women’s secretariats in political parties. If the level of women’s participation is less than the standard provided by this article, and this is attested by the women’s secretariat, the party can fill the vacant candidacies with male candidates. (Source: https://www.idea.int/data-tools/data/gender-quotas )

Sources: Electoral Code of Panama, article 239 (amended by Law 54, 2012, Article 6),

First woman in parliament

Year of first woman in parliament
1946

First woman speaker

Year of first woman speaker
1994

Women’s suffrage

Women’s right to vote
1941
Restricted or universal suffrage
Restricted
Detail of restrictions
"Panamanian women aged 21 and over who held a university degree or have completed vocational training, teachers' college or secondary schooling, may vote in provincial bodies
Women’s right to vote
1946
Restricted or universal suffrage
Universal

Notes: Law of 1 March 1946

Women's right to stand for election
1941
Restricted or universal
Restricted
Detail of restrictions
Minimum age: 21. Must hold a university degree or have completed vocational training or secondary schooling.
Women's right to stand for election
1946
Restricted or universal
Universal

Notes: Law of 1 March 1946

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.

There is currently no women's caucus in this chamber.

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