In its 1991 study the IPU surveyed only the composition of the single or lower chamber of the national parliament of each country. Some countries have shown marked changes in the representation of women in their parliaments during the 1991-1995 period of the IPU surveys. In Kuwait women still do not have the vote nor may they be elected to parliament. Positive action to achieve greater equality for women has been adopted in a number of countries. A number of countries, or political parties in a number of countries, have already adopted quota systems to improve the representation of women in parliament.
Voting systems appear to play an important part in the election of women to parliament.
Countries with the highest percentage of elected women have proportional or mixed voting systems with closed lists. Australia has different voting systems for its two houses and the proportional system for the Senate has always returned a higher percentage of women representatives. In Australia , it is widely understood that the problem of gender imbalance in political life must be addressed by the major political parties, particularly through reform of preselection processes. The National Party at present has only one women in Federal Parliament. The Democrats and Greens have to date had at least equal representation of women and men in Federal Parliament.