A Data Inquiry into Women’s Positions in Governments in 2025
As social injustice continues to rise worldwide, it is increasingly important to examine the quality of the governments that make decisions on our behalf. Gender equality is a key measure of a competent government, yet most governments remain dominated by men, with only a few achieving female leadership.
This imbalance is reflected not only in statistics but also in cultural symbols such as chess and card games, where the queen—regardless of the game—is valued less than the king.
Using these metaphors, we highlight gender inequality in politics and the long journey still ahead for women leaders.
The poster visualizes UN Women’s global data (2025) on women’s representation in political leadership, including top executive positions—Heads of State, Heads of Government, and Cabinet members—as well as women’s share in national parliaments. It also represents the distribution of ministerial portfolios, highlighting how women remain concentrated in social policy areas while key positions of power are still largely held by men.
As of early 2025, women’s representation in politics remained far from parity, with only 25 out of 193 countries led by women as Heads of State or Government.
Our data physicalization translates this gap into a deck of cards, revealing how uneven the political game still is.
In the card deck, each card corresponds to a proportional share within a standard 52-card deck. Red-suited cards featuring a chess queen represent the proportion of countries that currently have women leaders. Black-suited cards with a chess queen indicate the proportion of countries that have had women leaders in the past. Finally, blank black-suited cards correspond to the proportion of countries that have never had a woman leader.
Data Sources
UN Women (2025) Facts and Figures: Women’s Leadership and Political Participation. https://www.unwomen.org/en/articles/facts-and-figures/facts-and-figures-womens-leadership-and-political-participation
UN Women (2025) Women Political Leaders 2025. https://www.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/publications/2025/06/poster-women-political-leaders-2025
UN Women (2025) Political Leadership Roles in 2025: Men Continue to Dominate https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/press-release/2025/03/political-leadership-roles-in-2025-men-continue-to-dominate
