Female MNAs submitted six proposals to amend the National Assembly’s rules of procedure during 2025–2026. One was addressed at an addressed rate of 17% and a Gender Responsiveness Score (GRS) of 0.2. Male MNAs submitted three rule-amendment proposals; two were addressed, an addressed rate of 67%.
How this is measured
Rule-amendment proposals are a distinct category of agenda tracked separately in FAFEN’s parliamentary monitoring database. The GRS for this category is calculated by the same method applied across all agenda types: the female MNAs’ addressed rate divided by the male MNAs’ addressed rate. Items are classified as addressed when they are formally debated or otherwise disposed of during the reporting year. Items that lapse, are deferred, or remain on the Order Paper without action are classified as unaddressed. Data are drawn from Orders of the Day and official proceedings for 1 March 2025 to 28 February 2026.
Why this matters in parliamentary terms:
The rules of procedure determine how the National Assembly conducts its business when members may speak, how time is allocated, which items take precedence, and how the Speaker exercises discretionary authority. A member who wishes to change how the House operates must submit a formal rule-amendment proposal. When such proposals by female MNAs are addressed at 17% of the rate of those by male MNAs, it means that female members have significantly less capacity to influence the institutional framework within which they operate. Parliamentary rules are not neutral. They reflect accumulated decisions about whose voice is heard, how often, and under what conditions. A GRS of 0.2 in this category suggests that female MNAs face a structural disadvantage in the specific arena where the rules of engagement are determined.
Source: FAFEN Women Parliamentarians Performance Report 2025–2026, Table 8. Data period: 1 March 2025 – 28 February 2026.
