Women Political Leaders

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Women Political Leaders

Working to increase the number and the influence of women in political leadership positions. Follow us and for updates.

The Women Political Leaders (WPL) is the global network of female politicians. The mission of WPL is to increase both the number and the influence of women in political leadership positions. WPL strives in all its activities to demonstrate the impact of more women in political leadership, for the global better. To accelerate, women need three things: communication, connection, community. At WPL, o

ptimising the power of communication and connection builds new communities of knowledge for women political leaders everywhere. WPL believes that progress happens by convening women political leaders who have the drive and the influence to create positive change. WPL members are women in political office – Ministers, Members of Parliaments, Mayors. Membership is free and members are honoured by their participation. WPL is an independent, international, post-partisan and not-for-profit foundation based in Reykjavik, Iceland (the world champion of gender equality). Silvana Koch-Mehrin is the Founder and President of the WPL Foundation.

19/06/2026

Parliamentarians from across the globe gathered in Brussels from 3 to 5 June for the second Annual Meeting of the Munich Security Conference’s (MSC) Women Parliamentarians Program (WPP), of which WPL is a partner.

The agenda featured high-level exchanges on today’s most pressing security issues, among others with EIB President Nadia Calviño, Nadia Calviño , MSC Vice President and WPL Board Member Helga Schmid and Silvana Koch-Mehrin, , Founder and President of WPL 💬

Security is no longer the domain of military strategists and security specialists alone. Almost any policy area can be seen as a security issue: energy, health (pandemics), environment (climate crisis), migration, and the classic threats of war. Decisions need both a 360-degree view of security and a wide range of insights and perspectives!

Munich Security Conference

18/06/2026

🇲🇹 Two WPL Country Ambassadors for Malta have been re-elected to parliament following the 30 May 2026 general election.

Paula Mifsud Bonnici, Paula Mifsud Bonnici , Member of Parliament for the Nationalist Party (opposition), secured her seat in the main election count.

Naomi Cachia, Naomi Cachia , Member of Parliament for the Labour Party (majority), was returned through a casual election, a process specific to Malta’s electoral system.

💡What is a casual election? In Malta, candidates can stand in two electoral districts at once. If elected in both, they keep only one seat. The vacant seat is then filled not by a new vote, but by redistributing that MP’s ballot papers to the next preferred candidates: a continuation of the original count, under Malta’s preferential voting system.

14/06/2026

11 women now hold seats in the Cyprus House of Representatives Βουλή των Αντιπροσώπων , up from eight in the 2021 parliament 🗳️

The May 2026 parliamentary elections mark a significant step for women’s representation in Cyprus. Women account for 19.6% of the 56-member parliament, with five of the 11 elected entering the House for the first time.

Among those re-elected: WPL Ambassador Annita Demetriou Annita Demetriou , subsequently re-elected as President of the House of Representatives, the first woman ever to hold that position.

11/06/2026

Women’s health is entering the political agenda, not as a medical issue alone, but as an economic one💡

At the World Health Assembly (WHA), WPL convened in collaboration with Bayer , a dialogue focused on a critical policy challenge: how to move menopause from silence to structured political action.

The discussion was led by Neema Lugangira Neema Lugangira , Strategic Advisor Africa of Women Political Leaders and former Member of Parliament of Tanzania, and Carolyn Harris MP Carolyn Harris MP , the United Kingdom Parliament’s leading advocate for menopause policy, alongside Claus Runge of Bayer.

⚡️When women’s health is overlooked, economies pay the price.

Metrics and research to quantify economic impact. Employer responsibility. Political will. These are the tools that turn women’s health into policy. 🏛️

10/06/2026

For the first time in Danish history, women hold a majority of ministerial posts: 11 of 21, 52% of the cabinet. 🇩🇰

Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen , WPL Trailblazer Award recipient, is now the first woman to lead Denmark’s government three times.

In terms of cabinet parity, Denmark has joined Finland at the top of the Nordic table, ahead of Sweden (50%) and Norway (45%). Iceland leads the region at 54%.

The government negotiations have been ongoing for a full 69 days, which is historically long by Danish standards. It reminds us that democratic discussions, ensuring that different voices are heard, and finding common ground can take time. They are essential parts of democracy.

Political scientist Francis Fukuyama coined the phrase “getting to Denmark” — shorthand for the long, difficult work of building capable, democratic, and stable institutions. Denmark just raised the standard. 🏛️

09/06/2026

Six in ten women leave politics during or after their first mandate🚨

The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) points to one central factor: political parties. They determine who runs, who rises, and who holds power. People join parties because of their values and beliefs about what should be prioritised in society: that is precisely what makes parties so important, and so consequential for representation.

🟣 For WPL, political parties are essential allies. At the International Women’s Democracy Union (IWDU) Global Leaders’ Meeting in Marrakech, WPL President Silvana Koch-Mehrin moderated a session with women who have held executive power: a frank conversation about what political institutions make harder than they need to be, and what needs to change.

WPL works across all mainstream international political families. Not despite their differences but because of them. More women in political leadership is not a question of left or right. It is a question shared by all.

07/06/2026

A great leader’s sense of purpose does not fade after leaving office. It shifts; and often, it sharpens ⚡️

Sanna Marin served as Prime Minister of Finland from 2019 to 2023, leading a five-party coalition government alongside four other women. Together, they navigated a global pandemic, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Finland’s historic accession to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), and a period of high inflation.

When WPL asked her what purpose means to her now, she did not talk about the titles. She talked about the work still ahead.

03/06/2026

Equal rooms start with conversations like this: the agenda changes, perspectives shift, and better policies follow 🚀

Women Political Leaders connects a global network of women in politics across more than 100 countries, bringing women’s voices into the rooms where it matters most.

31/05/2026

Only 10% of global AI policy documents reference gender inclusion. That means the systems shaping healthcare, finance, justice, and public services are being built without the perspectives of half the population.

At the FemAI Global AI Lab during in Marrakech, WPL convened women political leaders to advance political leadership and continental advocacy for those shaping AI governance systems.

“Women leaders improve AI governance outcomes by bringing fairness, ethical oversight, and lived experience to the table.”
- Hon. Fatma Toufiq, FemAI Champion, Tanzania

Inclusive AI governance is not a future objective. It is a present necessity.

GIZ

28/05/2026

Only 8 countries have ever had a woman at the head of government more than once. 101 have never had one at all 🌍

At the current pace of change, equality between women and men in the highest positions of power will not be reached for another 130 years⏳

The WPL Trailblazer Award recognises incumbent and former women Presidents and Prime Ministers for breaking political glass ceilings and reaching the highest echelon of political leadership.

It exists because leadership at the top does not happen by accident. It has to be named. Built upon. And followed. Practice examples are more convincing than words, and they encourage others to follow the success path 🏛️

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