UN Women welcomes increased number of women in Algeria’s Parliament
Date:
Statement by Michelle Bachelet, Executive Director of UN Women
UN Women welcomes the increase in women's representation in the new parliament of Algeria as a result of last week's elections. The percentage of women parliamentary members now stands at 31 percent, up from 8 percent during the previous period from 2007 through 2011.This increase followed the adoption in January of a quota law stipulating 30 percent women's participation, and is a welcome step in Algeria's progress towards democratic reform and gender equality.
UN Women commends Algeria for reaching and surpassing the target of 30 percent women in parliament as recommended in the Beijing Platform for Action and general recommendations of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. Algeria joins 30 other nations* that have reached or surpassed this target by the end of 2011, with seven countries surpassing 40 percent and two exceeding 50 percent of women in parliament (Rwanda and Andorra).
UN Women will continue to support countries in increasing women's political participation as recommended in the General Assembly resolution adopted by United Nations Member States in December 2011.
*Rwanda, Andorra, Cuba, Sweden, Seychelles, Finland, South Africa, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Iceland, Norway, Mozambique, Denmark, Costa Rica, Angola, Belgium, Argentina, Spain, United Republic of Tanzania, Uganda, Nepal, Germany, Ecuador, Timor-Leste, New Zealand, Slovenia, Belarus, Guyana, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, and Burundi.