No less than four billion people from more than 40 countries participated in elections last year. With the redistribution of positions that followed, the upward trend in the number of leaders worldwide has reversed. Almost 84% of UN member states (163 out of 193) have an equality score of less than 50%.
In terms of equality, it is the‘Iceland which occupies the first place in the world ranking: 60% of the government is made up of women, while the parliament has slightly more men. The country thus obtains an equality score of 86%. Belgium ranks 11th, with a score of 62%. Only Iceland, Andorra and the Scandinavian countries do better in Europe.
The number of governments where women represent at least half of the members has decreased sharply over the past two years: 15 in 2024, against only 9 in 2025. Belgium displayed perfect gender equality under the previous legislature, with ten ministers of each sex.
There are only four of them in the Arizona government, and none sits within the Kern. Among the leaders who have left their duties, Sheikh Hasina is no longer Prime Minister of Bangladesh.
In Belgium, Sophie Wilmès remains the only woman who held the post of Prime Minister in 2019.