Women occupy only 18% of parliamentary seats around the world.

Regional averages of the percentage of women in parliament vary greatly:

• Nordic countries - 41.4%
• Americas - 21.8%
• Europe (excluding Nordic countries) - 19.1%
• Asia - 17.4%
• Sub-Saharan Africa - 17.2%
• Pacific - 13.4%
• Arab states - 9.6%

First Female Ministers

During and just after the World War I that the first few women became members of the revolutionary governments in Ukraine, Russia, Hungary and Ireland.

Nina Bang, Danish Minister of Education 1924-26, was the first woman to be minister in democratically elected parliamentary government.

First Female Prime Minister and President

In 1960 Sirivamo Bandaranaike of Ceylon now Sri Lanka became the world's first female elected Premier Minister.

In 1974 Isabel Perón of Argentina became the first woman President - one woman had been Acting Head of Government.