Limited female participation in structures of governance where key policy decisions are made and resource allocations decided often has a negative impact on women’s political, economic and social opportunities. At the time the Beijing Platform for Action was adopted in 1995, women accounted for on average 10 per cent of members of the lower or single houses of national parliaments. This figure had increased to 17 per cent by April 2009 (table 5.1). In all sub-regions of Africa and in 4 out of 5 sub-regions in Asia, the average proportion of women in the lower or single houses of parliament doubled or more than doubled.