This is the year of elections, with more than 60 countries, including some of the world’s most prominent democracies — India, U.S., Indonesia, U.K., South Africa — and others like Russia and Iran, all seeing polls in 2024. What stands out too, is that in none of these countries are women amongst the likely contenders for power. Mexico is an exception, with two women in leading positions for the Presidential election in June.
As a result, at the G20 in Brazil this November, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni could be the only other woman leader of a country, while European Commission president Ursula Von Der Leyen would be at the table depending on how she fares in the EU elections this summer. The previous decade actually fared better in terms of gender representation at the G20 high table: Germany’s Merkel, Argentina’s Kirchner, Australia’s Gillard, Brazil’s Rousseff and IMF Chief Lagarde all attended the G20 together in 2011 and 2012.
Also read: General Elections 2024 | The missing women in Indian politics
