The 2020 Vanuatu Elections: How Did Women Fare?

The 2020 Vanuatu Elections: How Did Women Fare?

In the Vanuatu national elections held on 19 March 2020, voters elected their third consecutive all-male parliament. Across 10 of Vanuatu’s 18 constituencies, only 18 women contested the elections and were significantly outnumbered, representing only six per cent of all candidates. Women have been absent from national parliament since 2012, and only five women have held a position in parliament since independence. This "In Brief" provides a preliminary analysis on women’s representation in Vanuatu politics and raises some questions for further research.