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 women accounted for on average per cent of members of the lower or single houses of national parliaments this figure had increased to per cent by april table in all subregions of africa and in out of subregions in asia the average proportion of women in the lower or single houses of parliament doubled or more than doubled