The given line graph illustrates the proportion of female members in the parliaments of five European countries—Germany, Italy, France, the UK, and Belgium—over a period of 12 years, from 2000 to 2012.
Overall, the percentage of women representatives in all five countries showed an upward trend, although the rate of increase varied across nations. Italy experienced the highest rise by the end of the period, while Belgium and the UK started at the lowest levels but showed substantial improvements.
In 2000, Germany had the highest proportion of female representatives, standing at approximately 34%, followed by Italy at 27%. Germany witnessed a modest rise throughout the period, reaching 36% by 2012, indicating a relatively stable upward trend. In contrast, Italy experienced a more pronounced increase, gradually climbing to 39% by 2012, the highest among all five countries. France also showed notable changes, with a dramatic rise to 36% in 2004; however, this was followed by a sharp decline to 29% in 2008, before recovering to 32% by the end of the period.
The UK and Belgium both started at the lowest points in 2000, with figures below 20%. The percentage of female representatives in the UK experienced a steady and significant rise, reaching 26% by 2012. Similarly, Belgium saw a marked improvement, particularly after 2004, culminating in a similar figure of 26% by the end of the period.