As part of the IPU series called 'A conversation with...', we interview parliamentarians from all over the world to find out who they represent and what motivates them. In this edition, we discover Xavier Iacovelli, a member of parliament from France. This interview was recorded at the 2024 Parliamentary Hearing at the United Nations which took place from 8-9 February in New York. The views and opinions expressed by the parliamentarians in the IPU's voices section are their own and do not necessarily reflect the IPU’s overall position.

As part of the IPU series called 'A conversation with...', we interview parliamentarians from all over the world to find out who they represent and what motivates them. In this edition, we discover Dan Carden, a member of parliament from the United Kingdom and President of the IPU's Forum of Young Parliamentarians. This interview was recorded at the 2024 Parliamentary Hearing at the United Nations which took place from 8-9 February in New York. The views and opinions expressed by the parliamentarians in the IPU's voices section are their own and do not necessarily reflect the IPU’s overall position.

As part of the IPU series called 'A conversation with...', we interview parliamentarians from all over the world to find out who they represent and what motivates them. In this edition, we discover Agustín Almodóbar, a senator from Spain and member of the IPU's Executive Committee. This interview was recorded at the 2024 Parliamentary Hearing at the United Nations which took place from 8-9 February in New York. The views and opinions expressed by the parliamentarians in the IPU's voices section are their own and do not necessarily reflect the IPU’s overall position.

As part of the IPU series called 'A conversation with...', we interview parliamentarians from all over the world to find out who they represent and what motivates them. In this edition, we discover Stephanie D'Hose, President of the Senate of Belgium. This interview was recorded at the 2024 Parliamentary Hearing at the United Nations which took place from 8-9 February in New York. The views and opinions expressed by the parliamentarians in the IPU's voices section are their own and do not necessarily reflect the IPU’s overall position.

As we celebrate International Women's Day this year, we must not only address the current and future challenges societies face globally, but also recognize the perspectives, talents and contributions of half of our population to the causes of human rights and gender equality. The progress made with women’s representation in parliaments in 2023 could have been faster and more varied. Globally, the share of women MPs stood at 26.9% on 1 January 2024, only 0.4 percentage points higher than it was 12 months earlier. This represented a similar rate of progress as in 2022 but slower than in the preceding