Women Speakers of national parliaments

Before 1945:

• Austria was the only state where a woman was elected president of a chamber (the Bundesrat ) before World War II

From 1945 to 1997:

• Only 42 of the 186 states with legislative institutions at some point in their history have had a woman chair of parliament or a chamber of parliament: this has occurred 78 times in all.
• These are 18 European countries, 19 countries in the Americas, three African countries, one country in Asia and one country in the Pacific.
• Twenty-four of the states in question had a bicameral parliament, and the presidency was given to a woman somewhat more frequently in the Senate than in the People’s Chamber.

Current Status:

• Only 64 women preside over one of the Houses of the 190 Parliaments, 79 of which are bicameral. Women therefore occupy only 23.7% of the total filled posts of Presiding Officers of Parliament or of one of its Houses. See a full list of women Speakers below, including the link to global and regional percentages for Speakers.