Women's political empowerement and equal access to leadership positions at all levels are fundamental to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and a fairer world. With limited growth in women's representation, advancement of gender equality and the success of the SDGs are jeopardized. 

Over the last two decades, the rate if women's representation in national parliaments globally has incrementally increased from 11.8 percent in 1998 to 17.8 percent in 2008 to 23.8 percent in 2018.

However, the Pacific island countries as a region has the lowest number of female parliamentarians in the world. There are only 42 women MPs (7.5%) out of 559 MPs altogether who are currently sitting in national legislatures.