Cambodia has been placed near the bottom of a global ranking on women’s political representation, underscoring the slow pace of progress both nationally and worldwide. The latest report by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and UN Women shows Cambodia at 152nd out of 182 countries, with women holding just 13.6 per cent of seats in the National Assembly and 19.4 per cent in the Senate. Globally, the picture is mixed. Women now occupy 27.5 per cent of parliamentary seats, a marginal rise from last year, but the report warns this is the slowest growth since 2017. Cabinet representation has even slipped backwards, with women holding 22.4 per cent of ministerial posts compared with 23.3 per cent in 2024. While some countries have achieved striking gains—Rwanda leads with 63.8 per cent of parliamentary seats held by women—others remain at the bottom, including Oman, Tuvalu and Yemen. Cambodia’s figures highlight the challenge of achieving parity in Southeast Asia, despite having a woman speaker of parliament. The report also points to worrying trends in leadership. The number of women serving as parliamentary speakers has fallen for the first time in 21 years, dropping nearly four percentage points to 19.9 per cent. Hostility and intimidation are cited as major obstacles, with 76 per cent of women parliamentarians reporting public harassment, compared with 68 per cent of men. Even when women reach high office, they are often confined to portfolios linked to social sectors. The study found that women lead 90 per cent of gender equality ministries and 73 per cent of family and children’s affairs, while men dominate defence, justice, and economic portfolios. UN Women’s executive director Sima Bahous warned that global instability and backlash against women’s rights are eroding hard-won gains. “When women are fully involved in political leadership, countries are more stable, policies work better for people, and societies are better prepared to face crises,” she said. IPU president Tulia Ackson called gender parity a “moral imperative”, while secretary-general Martin Chungong urged stronger political commitment, including quotas, to accelerate progress. For Cambodia, the ranking is a reminder of how far there is to go. With women making up less than one-fifth of parliament, the country’s challenge mirrors a global struggle: dismantling entrenched barriers and ensuring that political institutions reflect the societies they serve. -2026-03-17
