Programme briefs - Advancing Gender Justice in the Pacific

Pacific Island countries and territories (PICTs) have the world’s lowest levels of representation of women in parliaments (3.2%) and local government. The Pacific region is home to two of the three countries in the world without any women in their lower or single house of parliament: Federated States of Micronesia and Vanuatu.

Increasing women’s participation in leadership and decision-making has proven to be good for economic and social development. Studies have found that longer exposure to women’s political representation increases women’s overall labour force participation, the share of public employment opportunities allocated to women and women’s increased access to public goods such as roads and health services.