Report launch and webinar: Gender Quotas and other Positive Action Measures Across the Commonwealth

The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) held a webinar on 25 November 2025 examining gender quotas and other positive measures to advance gender equality across the Commonwealth.

Despite progress, women remain underrepresented in Commonwealth Parliaments, with an average representation of just 25.8%. This is below the 30% target set at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). While gender equality in politics continues to gain momentum, research shows that targeted measures such as gender quotas can play a transformative role in accelerating representation and reshaping political spaces.

The online event was held to mark the launch of a new report developed in collaboration with King’s Global Institute for Women’s Leadership (GIWL), the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) and members of the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) network to examine ‘Positive Action Measures in Commonwealth Parliaments: Advancing Gender Equality in Politics Across the Commonwealth’. This report also assesses the results of direct interventions for gender equality.

The webinar audience heard from the authors of the report, Dr Minna Cowper-Coles and Katherine Shuttleworth who outlined the findings of the report and explored the impact of quotas and other positive action measures in various jurisdictions. Dr Minna Cowper-Coles shared that:

“democracies are stronger when they represent the full diversity of the people they serve. Across the Commonwealth today, one woman sits in Parliament for every three men. In fact, women are less well represented in Commonwealth [Parliaments] then they are on average in the rest of the globe.”

This was followed by a panel discussion which included Hon. Katya De Giovanni, MP (Malta) and Senator Quratulain Marri (Senate of Pakistan) who shared lived experiences, insights and lessons learned from the implementation of quotas in their respective jurisdictions.

Commenting on the launch of the gender quotas report, the Chairperson of the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP), Hon. Catherine Fife, MPP (Ontario) said:

“Gender equality is a fundamental principle of human rights and a cornerstone of sustainable development. For Parliaments to effectively function as representative institutions and safeguards of democracy, gender equality must be both advanced and prioritised. Supporting and encouraging the presence of more women in politics and ensuring they have the necessary supports to thrive in their roles, is therefore essential to building inclusive, equitable governance.

When Parliaments are intentional about gender equality, when they implement well-designed positive action measures, and when international and local actors work together to uphold these standards, transformation is inevitable.”

In a video message to participants, the Chair of the King’s Global Institute for Women’s Leadership, Hon. Julia Gillard, AC, former Prime Minister of Australia drew on the experience of the application of gender quotas in Australia saying:

“In some places, the use of quotas and positive action measures have transformed politics for women, helping them to overcome the barriers that have stood in their way – from bias within political parties to violence, threats, high costs and the burden of care. Thanks to these measures the past fifty years has seen increasing numbers of women take their deserved place as political leaders, which in turn has transformed politics itself.

Rules do matter. Systems do matter. Structures matter and I know from my own experience that if you change the rules, if you bring more women into Parliament then you change the culture of your political party.”

The online event coincided with International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women #IDEVAW (25 November) which also marks the beginning of #16DaysOfActivism against violence against women and girls (VAWG).

The Commonwealth Secretary-General, Hon. Shirley Botchwey, issued a statement to mark 2025 International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women in which she said:

"No woman is safe until all women are safe. And that safety begins where fear ends - in our homes, neighbourhoods, communities and countries." Read her full statement.

To coincide with International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women #IDEVAW, the CPA published a blog on how the Child Marriage Restraint Bills were passed in Pakistan.

• BLOG: ‘A Future for Every Girl’: How the Child Marriage Bill in Pakistan was passed
  This article was written by Hon. Sharmila Faruqi, a Member of the National Assembly of Pakistan and former Member of the Sindh Provincial Assembly. Read the blog.

-ENDS-

The Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) was founded in 1989 to increase the number of female elected representatives in 180 Parliaments and Legislatures across the Commonwealth and to ensure that women’s issues are brought to the fore in parliamentary debate and legislation. The network campaigns for gender equality in all spheres. For media enquiries, please contact communications@cpahq.org.  

To find out more about the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) network please click here.