13:50 Belarus leads in CIS by number of women MPs

Belarus is taking the lead amond the member countries of the Commonwealth for Independent States by the number of female members of parliament, according to the Department of Public Information of the UN Office in Belarus.

This conclusion has been made in the report by the Secretary General of the Interparliamentary Union, released in New York at a news conference devoted to the 51st Session of the UN Commission for the Rights of Women.

Women amount to slightly over 29 percent of the Belarusian MPs. Belarus ranks 21st among a total of 189 nations on the list. Russia takes the 99th position, while Ukraine is 105th.

Almost a half of parliament seats are occupied by women in Rwanda and Sweden. The Finnish, Norwegian, Danish, Spanish and Cuban women take almost 35 percent of seats in their national legislatures, according to BELTA.