To: Presidents of IPU Groups
Geneva, 2 October 2025
Dear Madam President,
Dear Mr. President,
On 11-13 September 2025, the IPU and the Congress of the Republic of Peru held the 11th IPU Global
Conference of Young Parliamentarians in Lima, Peru, entitled
Uniting generations for gender equality.
Some 120 registered parliamentarians from 44 countries attended the Conference. The average age of the
young MPs was 34 years old, and 50% of them were women, meaning the Conference reached gender
parity for the first time. They were joined by senior parliamentarians, and representatives of governments,
international organizations, civil society groups, youth organizations and academia, to share knowledge
and coordinate actions.
During the event, parliamentarians reaffirmed their commitment to achieve gender equality, equity and
parity. They pledged their support for the IPU
Plan of action on gender parity in parliaments,
and the
Achieving gender equality, action by action
campaign, and called for their full implementation. They
emphasized the urgent need to make parliaments gender and age-sensitive institutions by ensuring
accessible working conditions. They also called for zero-tolerance policies against sexism, harassment
and violence, especially online. This includes through increased oversight and accountability of technology
companies to ensure online platforms are safe places for all. Discussions with senior parliamentarians and
civil society highlighted the importance of intergenerational cooperation and partnerships for sustained
change, especially by including male MPs as champions for gender equality.
The Conference received
preliminary findings from the forthcoming 2025 report on youth participation in
national parliaments.
Young MPs sounded the alarm and called for redoubled efforts, as the new data
revealed that only 2.8% of parliamentarians are 30 years of age and under. This is the same proportion as
in 2023, indicating a stagnation for youth in parliament. The full report will be launched later this year.
Videos of the Conference proceedings are available
here
for 11 September 2025 and
here
for 12
September 2025, and photos from throughout the event can also be accessed
here.
I am pleased to attach
the Conference outcome document which is also available on the event website
here.
I hope that this will
be a valuable resource for your own Parliament’s efforts, and I invite you to distribute it widely.
Yours sincerely,
Martin Chungong
Secretary General