Iceland has elected a female-majority parliament, becoming the first country in Europe to have more women than men in parliament.
At least 33 – or 52% out of the 63 seats in the Althing parliament were won by women.
Data compiled by the World Bank shows that no other European country has had more than 50% female lawmakers. Sweden became the closest at 47%.
Rwanda leads the world record of countries with a majority of female MPs. Women are in fact 61% of the MPs in Rwanda.
Results of elections in Iceland are particularly significant because unlike other countries, it doesn’t have legal quotas on female representation in parliament.
According to BBC reports, some parties in Iceland require a minimum number of candidates be women. The country has long been considered a leader in gender equality and was ranked the most gender-equal nation in the world for the 12th year running in a World Economic Forum report released in March.