for example a number of countries recently underwent setbacks in women s representation in parliament up to these results suggest that ensuring a continued balance in women s representation requires ongoing vigilance this is particularly the case when it applies to diverse groups backsliding is possible even when women s political participation is a societal norm a range of factors lead to these inequalities including economic inequalities and access to finance insufficient space for women to exhibit their skills as well as internal party dynamics attitude to gender issues and workplace culture unconscious biases that may manifest themselves through the association of leadership and managerial roles with men rather than women is another barrier for women s advancement