The Philippines ranked highest among Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states in terms of women’s representation in government, based on the latest Women’s Power Index 2026 released by the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR).
According to the infographic data, the Philippines scored 30.8 out of 100 in the index, which measures women’s representation across multiple levels of government. The country also ranked 70th out of 193 United Nations member states globally.
The CFR index uses a 0–100 scale, where 100 represents at least 50% women’s representation in all levels of government.
ASEAN comparison
The Philippines’ score placed it ahead of other ASEAN countries, including:
Singapore – 26.6
Indonesia – 24.8
Vietnam – 24.8
Timor-Leste – 21.3
Laos – 19.4
Thailand – 18.9
Cambodia – 14.3
Malaysia – 12.9
Brunei – 8.1
Myanmar – 0.0
The political parity ranking for ASEAN countries also showed the Philippines leading the region, with Singapore ranked 87th globally, followed by Indonesia and Vietnam tied at 100th.
Key indicators for the Philippines
The CFR’s 2026 profile for the Philippines highlighted several indicators of women’s participation in leadership and governance.
Among the figures cited:
The Philippines has had two female heads of state since 1946.
Women make up 29.00% of the local legislature, ranking 63rd globally.
Women account for 21.88% of national legislature candidates, ranking 55th globally.
Women represent 27.81% of the national legislature, ranking 87th globally.
Women hold 17.39% of cabinet positions, ranking 117th globally.
Representation-focused measurement
The CFR noted that the Women’s Power Index measures women’s representation through numerical presence rather than policy influence or political impact.
The index aggregates data across five indicators: heads of state or government, national cabinets, national legislatures, national legislature candidates, and local legislatures.
