The G20 leaders’ summit this week once again exposed the reduced presence of women as heads of state and government, to the extent that Italy’s Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, a newcomer to the post, is the only representative of a national administration in a sphere that continues to be dominated by men.
The forum in Bali (Indonesia) brings together the world’s major powers and will bring together a total of 41 leaders. Meloni is the only national leader to take part in this meeting, which will also be attended by the President of the European Commission, Ursula Von der Leyen; the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Kristalina Georgieva; and the head of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.
The family photo is therefore once again dominated by men, as was the case at the recent opening of the COP27 climate summit in Sharm el-Sheikh (Egypt).
UN Women estimates that, at the current rate, gender equality in the highest spheres of political power will not be achieved for 130 years. As of mid-September, the agency had identified 28 countries with 30 women at the helm, although there have been changes since then, such as the promotion of Meloni herself and the resignation of former UK Prime Minister Liz Truss.
The latest UN Women report also states that barely a quarter of the seats in national parliaments are held by women, a figure that, although low, reflects a timid upward trend. In 1995, men held 89 percent of these seats.
