Panama
National Assembly
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Political system
Political systems: Presidential, Parliamentary, Presidential-Parliamentary, Monarchy, Communist, Transitional.
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Presidential system
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Structure of parliament
Structure of parliament: Unicameral, bicameral
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Unicameral
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IPU membership
Current membership status
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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
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Current number of members
Number of members who currently hold seats in parliament. May be lower or higher than the statutory number of members.
View field in the data dictionary -
69
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Women
The number of female parliamentarians who currently hold seats in parliament.
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15
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Percentage of women
Calculated by dividing the current number of women by the current number of members.
View field in the data dictionary -
21.7%
Speaker
- Speaker
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Dana Castañeda (Female)
Date of birth: 08 Feb 1968
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 | Yuzaida Marín | Female | 50 |
Data on age at the start of the legislature
Number of members, by age (2024-07)
| 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 | 8 | 13 | 7 | 4 | 11 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 54 |
| Female | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 |
| Totals per age interval | 0 | 8 | 16 | 10 | 9 | 14 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 69 |
| Total <= 45: 34 | Total >= 46: 35 | ||||||||||
| Age at the last election or renewal | Overall | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11.6% | 11.6% | 0.0% | |
| 34.8% | 30% | 4.3% | |
| 49.3% | 41% | 8.7% |
Reserved seats and quotas
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There are reserved seats in parliament for certain groups
Reserved seats are a means to ensure the parliamentary representation of certain groups in society.
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No
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Electoral quota for women
Quotas to promote gender-balanced representation in parliament
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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
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Year of first woman in parliament
Year in which the first woman entered parliament
View field in the data dictionary -
1946
First woman speaker
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Year of first woman speaker
Date at which, for the first time in the country's parliamentary history, a woman became Presiding Officer of Parliament or of one of its Houses.
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1994
Women’s suffrage
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Women’s right to vote
Year in which women obtained the right to vote. More than one year may be displayed depending on the status of the right: restricted or universal and changes in status.
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1941
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Restricted or universal suffrage
Suffrage: Restricted or Universal
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Restricted
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Detail of restrictions
Suffrage: Restrictions detail
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"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
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Women’s right to vote
Year in which women obtained the right to vote. More than one year may be displayed depending on the status of the right: restricted or universal and changes in status.
View field in the data dictionary -
1946
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Restricted or universal suffrage
Suffrage: Restricted or Universal
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Universal
Notes: Law of 1 March 1946
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Women's right to stand for election
Year in which women obtained the right to stand for election. More than one year may be displayed based on the status of the right: restricted or universal and shifts to the status.
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1941
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Restricted or universal
Stand for Election : Restricted or Universal
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Restricted
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Detail of restrictions
Stand for Election: Restrictions detail
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Minimum age: 21. Must hold a university degree or have completed vocational training or secondary schooling.
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Women's right to stand for election
Year in which women obtained the right to stand for election. More than one year may be displayed based on the status of the right: restricted or universal and shifts to the status.
View field in the data dictionary -
1946
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Restricted or universal
Stand for Election : Restricted or Universal
View field in the data dictionary -
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.