Iceland elects Europe’s first Women-majority Parliament

Iceland has become the first country in Europe to have more women than men in Parliament.
Of the 63 seats in the Althing parliament, 33 were won by women, or 52%.
No other European country has had more than 50% women lawmakers, with Sweden coming closest at 47%, according to data compiled by the World Bank.
Around the world, five other countries currently have Parliaments where women hold at least half the seats, according to the Inter-Parliamentary Union: Rwanda (61%), Cuba (53%), Nicaragua (51%) and Mexico and the United Arab Emirates (50%).
Unlike some other countries, Iceland does not have legal quotas on female representation in Parliament, though some parties do require a minimum number of candidates be women.
The Nordic country has long been a pioneer in gender equality and women’s rights, and has topped the World Economic Forum’s ranking of most egalitarian countries for the past 12 years.
Iceland was the first country to elect a woman as President in 1980.

Source: The Hindu