2024 Elections Monitoring
Our objective is to provide a user-friendly tool to track women's roles in African elections, focusing on female candidates' status before and after elections. Access to up-to-date and reliable data on women’s political involvement and leadership access is rare. Without such data, it's challenging to objectively view, analyze, and understand women's political positions. By offering this data in an accessible format (e.g., tables), MEWC aims to be an information resource for researchers, policymakers, students, women's organizations, and local voters.
Our goal in monitoring elections and women's political participation in Africa is to offer detailed analysis through briefing papers. We'll present statistical data on women's engagement in politics, specifically looking at (i) registered female voters, (ii) women running as candidates, and (iii) women elected post-election. This analysis will also cover gender dynamics in the election's country, examining women's conditions before and how the elections affect women's lives.
On 12 September 2024, President Faye dissolved Senegal’s National Assembly and announced that the country would hold its parliamentary elections on 17 November 2024. The Patriots of Senegal (Pastef) won a majority of the 165 seats up for election, obtaining 130. The coalition Takku Wallu Senegal secured 16 seats, while the Jam ak Njarin coalition won seven seats. The elections come nearly 8 months after the Presidential polls and at a time when Senegal faces increasing challenges. Following the 2024 parliamentary polls, women’s representation in the National Assembly decreased.
The Alliance for Change (AdC) won an overwhelming victory in the parliamentary election held in Mauritius on 10 November 2024. The AdC obtained 60 out of the 62 directly elected seats, while the Organisation of the People of Rodrigues (OPR) secured the remaining two seats. With its victory, Mr Navinchandra Ramgoolam, leader of the AdC became Prime Minister of Mauritius. While there was a slight increase in the percentage of women directly elected to the National Assembly, Mauritian women’s political representation remains low.
In the recently concluded 2024 Ghanian polls, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) won the presidency and gained the most seats in parliament. Former President John Mahama of the NDC won the presidency, obtaining 56.3% of the votes. History was made during the presidential election. Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, Mr Mahama's running mate, became the country's first female Vice president-elect.
On 30 October 2024, Botswana held its parliamentary elections. 81% of registered voters participated, indicating a significant interest in the polls. The UDC won 36 of the 61 directly elected seats up for election. The BDP, which had been in power since Botswana’s independence, obtained four seats. Although there was a slight increase in the percentage of female candidates, women's representation in the National Assembly declined following the 2024 polls.
Algeria held its presidential election on 7 September 2024. Incumbent President Abdelamajid Tebboune received 84.3% of the votes. During the election period, there were accusations of corruption and malpractice. Voter turnout was low, with 26.5% of Algerians participating. No women contested the presidential election.
Rwanda held its presidential and parliamentary elections on 15 July 2024. Incumbent President Paul Kagame, leader of the Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF), won a fourth term in office with 99.18% of the votes. The RPF also won 68.83% of the 53 seats in the Chamber of Deputies. Following the 2024 parliamentary elections, women’s representation in the lower house increased from 61.3% to 63.8%. Rwanda thus remains the country with the highest female representation in parliament globally.
On 29 May 2024, six months after the presidential polls, Madagascar held its parliamentary elections. The ruling party, IRMAR, secured the most seats, 84 out of 163, followed by Firaisankina, which gained 22 seats. Malagasy women remain underrepresented in the National Assembly, securing 16% of the seats compared to 84% among men.
On 6 May 2024, Chad held its presidential election. Mr Mahamat Idriss Déby, the transitional leader, won, securing 61% of the votes. Out of the ten presidential candidates, there was one woman. The election marked the return to civilian rule following the military takeover in 2021.
The Union for the Republic (UNIR) won 95.6% of the seats in the Togolese parliamentary elections on 29 April 2024, securing 108 out of the 113 seats. While the Alliance for Democrats for Change (ADD) won 2 seats, the National Alliance for Change (ANC), Dynamic for the Majority of the People (DMP) and Democratic Forces for the Republic (FDR) each secured one seat. Women’s representation in parliament remains low, with 21 women elected to the National Assembly.
On June 29, 2024, the Islamic Republic of Mauritania held its presidential election. The incumbent President, His Excellency Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani, won a second term in office. While observers from the African Union described the election process as peaceful the post-election environment was reportedly marked by unrest and protests. There were no female presidential candidates.
The 2024 parliamentary elections in South Africa were historic as the African National Congress (ANC) lost its majority for the first time since the end of apartheid. ANC secured 40.18% of the National Assembly seats, the Democratic Alliance received 21.81%, and the newly formed uMkhonto we Sizwe, led by former President Jacob Zuma, 14.58%). Female representation decreased slightly in the National Assembly. In contrast, the percentage of women elected to the National Council of Provinces increased. In the indirect presidential poll, incumbent President Cyril Ramaphosa of the ANC was re-elected for a second term.