site.btaNational Assembly Chair Calls for Greater Role of Women, Youth at Parliament Speakers’ Summit in Geneva

National Assembly Chair Nataliya Kiselova said in Geneva on Tuesday that opportunities alone are not enough: mechanisms must empower women and youth to drive positive political change. She was delivering a speech at the Sixth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament in Geneva. The forum was organized by the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the United Nations, and the Parliament of the Swiss Confederation, the Bulgarian National Assembly's press office said on Tuesday.

Kiselova noted that despite progress, women remain underrepresented in politics, though they often offer unique, solution-oriented perspectives that promote dialogue and consensus. In Bulgaria, the share of women in Parliament ranges between 20% and 25%, while lawmakers under the age of 30 currently make up just 3.8%. Women’s participation remains below the 30% threshold recommended by the UN as the minimum for achieving a “critical mass” capable of real influence, and youth representation is only slightly above the 2% global average, Inter-Parliamentary Union data show.

Kiselova outlined various mechanisms for greater involvement of women and youth in parliamentary work, including quotas and gender-balanced lists, training programmes, digital engagement platforms, and party support. She underscored that the involvement of women and youth in parliaments is not only a matter of equality, it is also essential for the effectiveness, stability, and resilience of democracy.