A staggering 113 countries worldwide have never had a woman serve as head of state or government, and only 26 countries are led by women. According to UN Women’s Global Data on Women Political Leaders 2024, women are still largely excluded from positions of power and diplomacy. The UN said, globally, women’s underrepresentation in decision-making remains a stark reality. It said, only 23 per cent of ministerial positions are held by women and in 141 countries women make up less than a third of cabinet ministers as of January 1, 2024. Seven countries have no women represented in their cabinets at all.