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26/08/2021 | Indicator
Autonomy in decision-making

Proportion of elected seats held by women in deliberative bodies of local government (SDG indicator 5.5.1b)
It corresponds to the proportion of seats occupied by women in the deliberative bodies at the local level according to the methodology defined for each country, derived by dividing the total number of seats occupied by women by the total number of deliberative seats in that order. The result is expressed in percentages. UN Women (the custodian agency for SDG indicator 5.5.1b) and the Gender Equality Observatory for Latin America and the Caribbean jointly collect this indicator, with data reported annually by the national statistical offices of the countries, in coordination with electoral authorities. Data is available from the year 2014 to the latest year.

Analysis

Despite the growing participation of women in public life, gender-equal democracy, which includes 50/50 gender parity in elected positions worldwide, is far from being achieved at both the national and local government levels. Globally, the 2030 Agenda included this indicator on women's representation in local governments within the framework for monitoring the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This inclusion recognizes the key role played by local women leaders in sustainable development and the barriers they face in participating on equal terms in local political life. The results show that women's participation in deliberative seats at the local level in Latin America and the Caribbean is below the global average for this indicator. This indicator is part of the set of prioritized indicators for monitoring the SDGs in Latin America and the Caribbean.