Lao PDR launches Gender Situation Analysis of the National Assembly and Provincial People’s Assemblies

September 9, 2025

Mrs. Chanhpheng Sivila, Director of Lao Disabled Women's Development Center greets Ms. Martine Thérer, Resident Representative of UNDP Lao PDR at the launch of the Gender Situation Analysis Report.

UNDP

Vientiane, 9 September 2025 – The National Assembly of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), today launched the Gender Situation Analysis (GSA) of the National Assembly and Provincial People’s Assemblies (PPAs). This landmark study marks the first known gender audit of a Southeast Asian parliament, covering the national and all 18 provincial assemblies.

The launch was presided over by Hon. Mme. Thoummaly Vongphachanh, Chairperson of the Justice Committee and the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus (WPC) and Ms. Kanni Wignaraja, United Nations Assistant Secretary-General and UNDP Regional Director, Bureau for Asia and the Pacific.

Ms. Kanni Wignaraja, heralded the potential impact of the research, highlighting that “closing gender gaps is not only a matter of justice - it is a smart investment in the future.” She concluded, “We hope this report  triggers a response that makes us all proud and puts the Laotian Assembly system on the map in the most memorable of ways.”

Her message emphasized that greater women’s participation in governance strengthens resilience, stability, and economic growth, and that Lao PDR’s upcoming 2026 elections represent a critical opportunity for transformative change.

Commissioned in October 2023 by the National Assembly’s Social and Cultural Affairs Committee, with support from UNDP’s Strengthening Capacity and Effectiveness of the People’s Assembly System in Laos (STEPS) Project, the GSA engaged over 300 Members of Parliament and Assembly staff. The study assessed the gender sensitivity of law-making, oversight, and representation functions, and sets out concrete recommendations to strengthen women’s leadership and gender mainstreaming across representative institutions.

Hon. Mr. Thanta Kongphaly, Member of Parliament, Vice Chair of Planning, Finance and Audit Committee speaks at the launch of the Gender Situation Analysis Report.

UNDP

The report found significant progress in advancing women’s participation, alongside enduring barriers. Women currently represent 22% of the National Assembly, below the Government’s 30% target, while nine out of 18 PPAs remain under target. Challenges include candidacy requirements for women, cultural attitudes favoring male leadership, limited training support, and family responsibilities that constrain political engagement.

Recommendations include mentorship programmes for women in politics, strengthening the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus, male allyship through gender training, supportive workplace policies, and awareness campaigns to shift societal attitudes.

Attendees at the launch included the Lao Women’s Union, the National Commission for the Advancement of Women, and Mother-Children (NCAWMC), development partners, civil society organizations, youth leaders, and the diplomatic community, who joined the Members of the National Assembly and PPAs to present and discuss the findings.

By using the research to embed gender equality across parliamentary structures and processes, Lao PDR is taking an important step towards building inclusive institutions that reflect the diversity and aspirations of its people.