Ahead of 2024, political experts and commentators were calling this “the year of democracy”. It was deemed a “make or break year”, as around 1.5 billion people went to the polls in more than 50 countries, which held significant elections.
For women, who are already underrepresented in global politics, there were some critical victories and losses.
Based on statistics from UN Women alongside current election updates, Women’s Agenda has calculated there are 30 countries where 31 women serve as Heads of State and/or Government. Just 20 countries have a woman Head of State, and 17 countries have a woman Head of Government.
At the current rate, gender equality in the highest positions of power will not be reached for another 130 years.
As authoritarianism is on the rise worldwide as well, national elections grappled with challenges involving voter participation, free speech, and electoral independence.
Here’s a look back at some of this year’s most influential election results for women.
Bangladesh
In one of the first national elections, in January, Bangladesh elected Sheikh Hasina for her fifth term as Prime Minister of the South Asian country– she’s the longest serving female prime minister in the world.
Nevertheless, analysts questioned the democratic integrity of the election, and in August, Hasina resigned from her post and fled the country she has led since 2009. Protesters accused Hasina’s government of misusing its power and killing opposition activists.
Taiwan
For the past eight years, Taiwan’s pro-sovereignty party has been led by the country’s first ever female president, Tsai Ing-wen. Tsai promoted a Taiwanese identity separate to China, and garnered global admiration for her strong stance against China’s authoritarianism.
In January this year, the presidential and legislative elections saw Ing-Wen’s successor, the current vice president and the Democratic Progressive party (DPP) nominee, William Lai Ching-te secure a third consecutive presidential term for the party. It was a win for democracy.
Pakistan
In a historic moment for Pakistan’s judiciary, Aalia Neelum became the first woman to be elevated to the court, after taking oath as the Chief Justice of Lahore High Court (LHC) in March. Justice Neelum’s appointment was approved by the President, Asif Ali Zardari.
Throughout her career, Justice Neelum has been an advocate for gender equality and women’s empowerment, playing a pivotal role in establishing specialised courts for handling cases of gender-based violence.
Ireland
Also in March, Ireland overwhelmingly rejected the proposed changes to ‘sexist’ references on family and women in its constitution during a dual referendum. The proposed changes would have widened the definition of the family and clarified the duties of women in society that were considered outdated.
United Kingdom
In August, Wales got its first female leader in history, as Eluned Morgan replaced the current Welsh Labour Party leader, Vaughan Gething, after securing a majority of support in the country’s parliament, the Senedd.
She was also only the fifth woman in the history of Wales to be elected to a full time political position and the first full time politician in Wales to have a baby while in office.
Thailand
Also in August, Thailand elected its youngest ever prime minister following months of political upheaval. At 37, Paetongtarn Shinawatra is the daughter of Thailand’s former billionaire prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra. Paetongtarn is the second woman ever to be Thailand’s PM. Her aunt, Yingluck Shinawatra, was the first woman to lead the country between 2011 to 2014.
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka was the first country in the world to appoint a woman as prime minister. And in September this year, the tiny island nation elected Dr Harini Amarasuriya to become its third female prime minister.
Dr Amarasuriya and the National People Power (NPP) coalition won the election on a campaign promise to clean up corruption and bring systemic change.When asked about her party’s lack of experience in running a country, she responded: “Well, we don’t have experience with making the country bankrupt for sure, but we will gain experience in building the country.”
Mexico
In October, Claudia Sheinbaum was sworn in as Mexico’s first female president. The 62-year-old former mayor of Mexico City vowed to improve women’s rights and bolster the country’s economy amidst lagging growth.
Sheinbaum kicked off the start of her six-year term saying she hopes that her historical win as a woman will inspire “those who dreamed of the possibility that one day no matter if we were born as women or men we would achieve our dreams and desires without our sex determining our destiny.”
USA
In the shadow of the United State’s fight for reproductive freedoms, the 2024 presidential election saw Donald Trump’s campaign beat Kamala Harris. It was an election that could have given the country its first female president, but that hope has been dashed for the next four-year term.
The US did, however, set a new record for the most number of women state governors, but experts are still calling for better representation in leadership. Following the 2024 election, 13 women were elected as state governors for 2025, breaking the record set in 2022 of 12 women.
Namibia
Just two weeks ago, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah won Namibia’s presidential election, making her the country’s first female president.
However, she is believed to hold conservative views on issues such as women’s reproductive rights, and she is “…a strict advocate of strong abortion laws,” according to Henning Melber, from the Nordic Africa Institute at the University of Uppsala. “When it comes to her orientation, being a woman does not mean that there will be more feminist policies around the corner.”
Australia
Here in Australia, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese maintains he intends to serve a full three-year term, and as parliament wrapped up for the year, so did the chances of a 2024 election.
Looking ahead, we are approaching the next federal election, and election polls indicate it won’t be a straightforward vote. The exact timing of the election is up to Albanese, but experts believe it will happen sometime between March and May.
As the country continues to deal with a crisis of gendered violence and high cost-of-living, the impacts this election will have by and for women loom large.
