In the legislative elections last March, Colombia once again revealed a persistent gap in its political representation. According to the results, only 29% of congressional seats will be occupied by women, a figure that confirms that parity remains an outstanding debt.
Despite regulatory advances and the growing prominence of female leadership in different spheres, the Legislature that will take office next July 20 continues to be largely dominated by men.
The outlook is similar to that of the previous term (2022–2026), when of the 295 seats in the Senate and the Chamber of Representatives, including those granted under the statute of opposition to the runners-up in the presidential runoff, only 86 were held by women.
This outcome raises a fundamental question about the quality of democracy: in a country where women represent approximately half of the population, their presence in the main body of political representation remains minor.
Beyond rhetoric about inclusion, the composition of Congress shows that current mechanisms have not been sufficient to ensure balanced participation in decision-making.
No gender parity in Colombia’s Congress: women hold just 29% of seats
In the last elections at the beginning of March, 283 seats were filled, following the elimination of the 10 seats granted to signatories of the 2016 peace agreement. However, representation did not change. In the Senate, the number of seats held by women remained at 32, representing 31.4%. In the Chamber, the figure stood at 50 seats, four fewer than those obtained in 2022.
It is worth noting that in this context, the Historic Pact will be the political force with the greatest female representation, following its own internal political discipline that imposed closed lists and alternating gender parity lists: man–woman. This strategy allowed the ruling coalition to have its Senate list made up of 13 women out of a list of 25 senators. In the Chamber, the situation is similar for that party.
Meanwhile, the right-wing opposition Democratic Center will retain five women among its ranks, since although four of its current female senators will not continue in the Legislature (Paloma Valencia, Paola Holguin, Maria Fernanda Cabal, and Yenny Rozo), their seats were replaced at the ballot box. María Angelica Guerra will be the only one to retain her seat on a list of 17 congress members elected by this political force.
On the other hand, parties such as the Green Party reduced their female participation and, in the case of the Senate, will have only one woman occupying one of those seats. Angelica Lozano and Ana Carolina Espitia will not return, and the only elected representative under that party was Andrea Padilla.
In search of a difficult parity over 35 years
Since the 1991 Constitution, Colombia has incorporated principles of equality and promoted measures to encourage women’s political participation. Among these are quotas and the requirement of lists with alternation criteria.
However, these instruments have not translated into effective representation that approaches parity. The rules influence the composition of lists, but they do not guarantee the final outcome at the polls nor the distribution of seats.
In practice, the electoral system and the internal dynamics of political parties continue to condition candidates’ opportunities. Placement on lists, access to funding, and political backing within party organizations are decisive factors that do not always favor women. As a result, although there are more female candidates than in past decades, their access to Congress remains limited.
The fact that only 29% of legislators are women reflects a stagnation in the evolution of women’s political representation in Colombia. It is not a sharp setback, but it is insufficient progress compared to the expectations generated in recent years.
In comparative terms, the country remains at levels similar to global averages, but far from parity standards promoted by various international organizations.
This outlook is even more relevant given that recent elections were marked by greater visibility of female candidacies at different levels. Even so, that presence did not translate into a proportional increase in seats won.
The gap between participation as candidates and effective access to legislative power remains one of the main divides in the political system.
Structural obstacles and cultural barriers hinder gender equality in Colombia
The low representation of women in Congress cannot be explained solely by electoral results. Behind these figures lie structural factors that consistently affect political opportunities. Women frequently face greater difficulties in accessing campaign resources, support networks, and established party structures.
In addition, cultural barriers still influence perceptions of political leadership. In some contexts, stereotypes persist that associate authority and decision-making with male figures, limiting the recognition of female candidacies. These dynamics not only affect electoral competition but also the way political careers are built within parties.
The composition of Congress is not merely a statistical fact. It has direct implications for legislative priorities and for how key issues for society are addressed. Limited female presence can affect the visibility and advancement of initiatives related to gender equality, caregiving, reproductive health, and the prevention of gender-based violence.
Although the women who reach the Legislature have played an active role in promoting such agendas, their relative weight within majorities remains small. In a scenario where decisions are made through voting and political negotiation, the balance of power is decisive for the approval of bills.
An unfulfilled obligation to Colombian democracy
The low participation of women in the Colombian Congress shows that formal equality has not been fully translated into real equality in the political sphere. Regulations have opened spaces, but the results show that obstacles still exist that prevent fair competition.
In this context, the discussion on parity is not limited to a matter of symbolic representation. It is about ensuring that institutions reflect the diversity of the society they represent.
As long as female participation remains close to 29%, Congress will continue to be a space where half of the population has a proportionally smaller voice in the decisions that affect the country.
The challenge ahead not only involves keeping the debate open, but also reviewing the conditions that make a greater presence of women in politics possible or difficult.
Without deeper changes in party structures, access to resources, and political culture, parity will remain a distant goal rather than a consolidated reality.