Across the globe, an increasing number of women are getting elected to national government. By examining the national parliaments of Mexico, Uganda, and Viet Nam, this study attempts to determine whether women parliamentarians have been able to shift the debate and increase the parliamentary response on issues of gender equality. The study takes into account trends in women’s election to national parliaments, trends in gender-targeted legislation, and factors that have facilitated or obstructed the passage of key gender-targeted bills. Among the study’s findings is that the political party is the main gatekeeper with regards to women entering politics and passing legislation, thus it is important to both increase the number of women in politics and their position within the party.
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