The proportion of seats held by women in the Parliament in Mauritius rose

In its report on governance statistics for the year 2010, the Central Statistics Office indicates that the proportion of seats held by women in the Parliament in Mauritius currently stands at 18.8 per cent, compared to 17.1 per cent in 2005 and 6.1 per cent in 2000.

There has been an increase in the proportion of female candidates at the National Assembly elections from 6.5 per cent in 2000 to 16.1 per cent in 2010.

Based on figures published by the Inter-Parliamentary Union, Mauritius is at par with France regarding female representation in Parliament.

The report also highlights that in Mauritius, there exists no gender disparity in education. However, the gender gap in the labour market and in politics is yet to be bridged.

Women in Mauritius make up more than half of the total population of working age (16 years and over) but only 35 per cent constitute the actual working population.