- ImpactWe help parliaments to become greener and to implement the Paris agreement.We support democracy by strengthening parliamentsWe work to increase women’s representation in parliament and empower women MPs.We defend the human rights of parliamentarians and help them uphold the rights of all.We help parliaments fight terrorism, cyber warfare and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.We encourage youth participation in parliaments and empower young MPs.We support parliaments in implementing the SDGs with a particular focus on health and climate change.
- Parliaments
Nearly every country in the world has some form of parliament. Parliamentary systems fall into two categories: bicameral and unicameral. Out of 190 national parliaments in the world, 78 are bicameral (156 chambers) and 112 are unicameral, making a total of 268 chambers of parliament with some 44,000 members of parliament. IPU membership is made up of 180 national parliamentsFind a national parliament
The Swiss National Council © The Swiss Parliament
We help strengthen parliaments to make them more representative and effective.. - Knowledge
Discover the IPU's resources
Our library of essential resources for parliamentsGlobal data for and about national parliamentsLatest data and reports about women in parliamentResolutions, declarations and outcomes adopted by IPU MembersRecent innovations in the way parliaments workThe latest climate change legislation from the London School of Economics' database
Women parliamentary leaders focus on women's economic empowerment
Thu, 28/08/2014 - 17:41
Donatille Mukabalisa, Speaker of the Rwandan Parliament will be participating at the 9th Meeting of Women Speakers of Parliament. Women hold an unprecedented 64% of seats in Rwanda’s parliament. ©Rwandan Parliament
Read this press release at http://archive.ipu.org/press-e/pressrelease201408281.htm
Related news and stories
Statements
08/03/2024
As we celebrate International Women's Day this year, we must not only address the current and future challenges societies face globally, but also recognize the perspectives, talents and contributions of half of our population to the causes of human rights
News in brief
27/03/2023
At the 146th IPU Assembly in Manama, Bahrain, IPU Members voted in new Presidents of the Bureau of Women Parliamentarians and the Board of the Forum of Young Parliamentarians. Both Presidents were elected for two-year terms. They will also serve
News in brief
30/03/2016
IPU’s Meeting of Women Parliamentarians, which for more than 30 years has been a unique opportunity for women MPs globally to meet in person and provide input into international decision-making, has a new name – the Forum of Women Parliamentarians
Press releases
27/03/2015
Read this press release at http://archive.ipu.org/press-e/pressrelease201503271.htm
Press releases
05/09/2014
Read this press release at http://archive.ipu.org/press-e/pressnote201409051.htm
Profiles
26/05/2014
Margaret Mensah-Williams still remembers the shock she felt as a child at seeing men with numbers around their necks, during the apartheid era in Namibia. Spurred into political action, she later made history, becoming the country's first woman deputy speaker