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Ratio of women in Japan Diet shows 6 point rise over last 10 years+
(Japan Economic Newswire Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge)NEW YORK, Feb. 27_(Kyodo) _ The ratio of female lawmakers in Japan's lower chamber of parliament has increased 6.2 percentage points over the last decade, according to new statistics to track the status of women politicians around the world, released Monday.
Although the growth rate in the ratio of women legislators was far below those of Rwanda, Andorra and Belgium, which saw gains of 31, 25 and nearly 23 percentage points, the latest figure for Japan represents some improvement, compared with that for 1995 when female lawmakers in the House of Representatives accounted for only 2.74 percent, or 14 members.
According to the Inter-Parliamentary Union report, there are 43 women lawmakers in the lower chamber, or nearly 9 percent of the total number.
South Korea has shown greater improvement during the past decade, with women accounting for slightly over 11 percent of the total number against only just over 2 percent, or six members, in 1995.
As for North Korea, the number of female parliamentarians has remained unchanged over the last decade, standing at 138 or slightly more than 20 percent.
China has shown a setback, with its female legislators dropping to 604 from 626 in 1995.
Significant among the findings was the fact that the year 2005 was "marked by continued progress and new records for women in the political field," according to a press statement released to reporters at a press conference.
Of the general elections that took place in 39 single or lower houses of parliament, 1,569 women gained seats, accounting for more than 20 percent of members elected to office in 2005.
The 2005 elections were significant for countries such as Afghanistan, Burundi, Iraq and Liberia where advances for women were apparent in countries after post-conflict situations. In the case of Afghanistan, Burundi and Iraq, the constitutional drafting processes led to the introduction of electoral quotas and other means of ensuring that women were represented in parliament and in government.
Also noteworthy was the fact that women gained full political rights in Kuwait after an all-male Kuwaiti parliament granted them the right to vote and stand for election.
"This victory is indicative of an embryonic but largely positive trend regarding women's political participation in the Arab region," according to the press statement.
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