Women in politics

Considerable progress has been made in women's rights during the last 100 years. While some countries have achieved near-parity in electing women to national legislatures, others are lagging far behind. Which country has the largest percentage of women in its national parliament?

A. Sweden
B. United States
C. Cuba
D. Rwanda



D. Rwanda is correct.

Rwanda tops the list for the highest proportion of female members of parliament, with a rate of 49 percent, according to a survey by the Inter-Parliamentary Union. Of the 80 seats in the lower house, 39 are held by women.

Cuba came in third, with a 43 percent share of women in its national parliament.

In the United States, 73 of the 435 members of the House of Representatives are women. With a share of 16.8 percent, it is in 70th place globally. The rate in the Senate is 16 percent.

Sweden still ranks first among highly industrialized nations, with 47 percent female representation.

The Globalist Quiz is produced by The Globalist, a Washington-based research organization that promotes awareness of world affairs. © 2008 The Globalist, theglobalist.com.

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