Political Participation & Leadership

It has been argued that where women are fully represented, societies are more peaceful and stable. Women's political participation is fundamental for gender equality and their representation in positions of leadership must be a priority for all African governments. Women are largely under-represented in decision-making and leadership positions in Africa.

Over the last years, there has been more women in parliaments and decision-making positions than before. In the parliamentary elections of Rwanda in September 2013 women obtained 64 percent of the seats, which is the highest number in the world. However, women's participation in governmance and decision-making remain very limited. They are outnumbered by men in all decision-making and leadership positions.

In the history of Africa, there are now three women who have been elected president:

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf – President of the Republic of Liberia
Joyce Banda – President of the Republic of Malawi
Catherine Samba-Panza – Interim President of the Central African Republic

There is progress here and there on the continent regarding women's rights . We must go much further to ensure greater gender equality in Africa. It is not just a matter of justice....When women take their rightful place at the negotiating table, in the parliament and in leadership positions across society, we can unleash Africa’s enormous potential..." UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

To learn more about women's political participation, please visit the following websites:

Source: BlogHer
On the eve of Mali's historic presidential elections on 28 July 2013, UN Women is supporting a platform for information and debate about women’s issues.

Mali

Source: Leadeship
The United Nations Entity for Gender Equity and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) has re-affirmed its commitment to the economic empowerment of rural women in Nigeria.

Nigeria

Source: AllAfrica
Monrovia- 17-year-old Kimberlyn Boe's lungs flapped with joy as she screamed. Instantaneously, her younger sister came running to share her sister's joy, though clueless.

Liberia

Source: AllAfrica
"If you want to be influential in the political arena, you need to influence policy," Betty Kaari Murungi, a social justice advocate, recently told a room filled with female entrepreneurs and corporate managers in Nairobi, Kenya.

Kenya

Source: Africa Renewal
"If you want to be influential in the political arena, you need to influence policy," Betty Kaari Murungi, a social justice advocate, recently told a room filled with female entrepreneurs and corporate managers in Nairobi, Kenya.

Kenya

Source: Daily Trust
Rep. Binta Bello (PDP, Gombe State) is the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Women Affairs.

Nigeria

Source: Voice of America
Zimbabweans go to the polls July 31 under a new constitution that some hoped would bring more women into politics. But, some women say the road to gender equity in Zimbabwean politics is a long one.

Zimbabwe

Source: Daily News Egypt
30 Egyptian NGOs have warned against amending the 2012 constitution, and have called for a new one, according to a Monday statement published on the website of the Arab Centre for the Independence of the Judiciary and the Legal Profession (ACIJLP).

Egypt

Source: Libya Herald
The NGO Lawyers for Justice in Libya (LFJL) has welcomed the decision by Congress to reserve seats on the 60-member Constitutional Commission for women and ethnic minorities but has criticized the amount set aside for the former.

Libya

Source: Coastweek
NAIROBI, (Xinhua) -- A Kenyan lawmaker has urged African women not to stop at the one-third minimum that the African Union (AU) charter on women’s rights accords them on political equality, but should demand for even more.