WUNRN
Women have played an integral role in local politics of sub-Saharan Africa for generations. In many societies, women exercised political power through veto rights, participated in women-only councils or held positions of authority — both inherited and elected. Despite these traditional roles, women in sub-Saharan Africa won voting and formal political rights much later than women in many other countries. However, women’s political participation in this region is on the rise again.
In recent years, women have made significant electoral gains at all levels of decision-making. Prominent women leaders include the Deputy President of South Africa, Ms. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, and the Prime Minister of Mozambique, Ms. Luisa Diogo. While women have served as acting presidents in both Burundi and Guinea-Bissau, the 2006 election of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf as President of Liberia is, perhaps, the most significant milestone for women at the highest levels of politics in Africa. On the municipal level, women constituted over 41 percent of council members in Namibia and over 52 percent of council members in the Seychelles in 1999. Thousands more women elected at local levels are now gaining the skills necessary to move up into national leadership positions.
Despite being the world’s poorest region, women’s representation in sub-Saharan countries’ legislatures is higher than that of many wealthier countries, and it continues to rise. In Mozambique, 87 women were elected to serve in the 250-member parliament in 2004, constituting 35 percent of the legislature. That same year, 131 women were elected to the 400-member South African parliament. The number of women in parliament has reached 30 percent in Burundi, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa and Tanzania. Perhaps most impressively, women now constitute 49 percent of Rwanda’s parliament, the highest percentage of women in any parliament worldwide. Overall, the percentage of women legislators in sub-Saharan Africa is 17 percent and has risen steadily over the last decade. These positive developments set the stage for a dramatic increase in the number of women in politics and public service in Africa.
Although political opportunities for women have recently broadened, sub-Saharan women must continue to overcome new challenges to strengthen their power and position. While, their presence alone does not guarantee change for women, it allows them to demonstrate sound political leadership, an awareness of women’s needs and the importance of gender equality, all of which will open doors for the next generation of women leaders.
Countries of sub-Saharan Africa
Angola
Benin
Botswana
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cameroon
Cape Verde
Central African Republic
Chad
Comoros
Congo (Democratic Republic of the)
Côte d’Ivoire
Djibouti
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Ethiopia
Gabon
Gambia
Ghana
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Kenya
Lesotho
Liberia
Madagascar
Malawi
Mali
Mauritania
Mauritius
Mozambique
Namibia
Niger
Nigeria
Rwanda
Sao Tome and Principe
Senegal
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Somalia
South Africa
Sudan
Swaziland
Togo
Uganda
United Republic of Tanzania[17]
Zambia
Zimbabwe
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