With less than 36.8% of MEPs being women, raising the number of female representatives should be a key priority for EU democracy

Procedures for raising the number of female politicians in parliaments and governments have been a key focus in several European states over recent decades. Máriam Martínez-Bascuñán writes that the issue should be seen not simply as a procedural one, but as a fundamental element of democracy.

She argues that the issue of women’s representation is an indicator of the degree of human development within societies, and that with less than 36.8% of MEPs being women in the 2014-19 European Parliament this should also be a priority in efforts to improve EU democracy.