10 Countries With the Highest Proportion of Women in Parliament

2013 was a record year for women in parliament around the world. The global average of participating women is now at 21.8%, up from 20.3% in 2012. The average was at 15% a decade ago.

According to a recent report from the Inter-Parliamentary Union, Rwanda's parliament has the highest proportion of women in the world at 63.8%. This is partly due to the country's new constitution, enacted in 2003, which mandates that at least 30% of all legislative seats be reserved for women.

The second spot on the list goes to Andorra, with 50% of parliament seats occupied by women, followed by Cuba, Sweden and Seychelles. At 0%, Micronesia, Palau, Qatar and Vanuatu have the lowest proportion of female participation in parliament — although it's worth noting that smaller nations have smaller parliaments. Read more...