women in positions of power are still a rare find on the global political map. This, despite more countries introducing so-called "gender quotas," rules that dictate a percentage of seats in a parliament – usually at least 30 percent – be filled by women based on specific criteria. These requirements are mentioned in countries' constitutions or in the electoral laws. According to data from the International Institute of Democracy and Electoral Assistance, currently more than 30 countries have a gender quota mentioned in their constitution.
A better work participation rate among women alone can increase the gross domestic product by up to 10 percentage points, a new Standard & Poor's report shows. The New York-based financial service company looked at data from the 1990s to 2016 for countries from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), a group of developed nations that promotes world trade and democracy. The report's findings: The U.S. economy would be $1.6 trillion larger today if American women entered and remained in the workforce at the same rate as women from Norway. Another way to conceive of the increase: $1.6 trillion would translate to roughly $5,000 more for every American.