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 29 April 2024, 61.76%, or 2,565,623 of the 4,203,711 registered voters participated in the parliamentary elections in the Togolese Republic. President Faure Gnassingbé's Union for the Republic (UNIR) won 108 of the 113 (95.6%) seats up for election. The Alliance for Democrats for Change (ADD) secured 2 seats. At the same time, the National Alliance for Change (ANC), Dynamic for the Majority of the People (DMP) and Democratic Forces for the Republic (FDR) won 1 seat each.
The parliamentary polls were originally scheduled for December 2023 but were postponed until early 2024. In April 2024, the President announced that the elections were rescheduled from the 20th until the 29th of April “to allow for “broad consultations” on the constitutional amendments.
Opposition parties and civil society organisations called “the move a constitutional coup.” Several civil society organisations (CSOs) and opposition political parties set up the “Touche pas à ma Constitution” (Don’t touch my Constitution) coalition. Others called on the President to postpone the promulgation of the amended Constitution and engage in an inclusive dialogue until after the results of the parliamentary elections. Some 15 CSOs “signed a declaration highlighting the “illegitimate” and “illegal” nature of the amendments and called for a large popular rally on May 5 in Lomé.” Political gatherings, however, are restricted in Lomé. Moreover, opposition parties claimed that under the new Constitution, as the leader of the majority party in parliament, President Gnassingbé could remain in power as the President of the Council of Ministers. President Gnassingbé has been in office since 2005 following the death of his father.
The 2024 Constitution of Togo (as amended) altered the country’s political system from a presidential to a parliamentary structure. Under the revised Constitution, the President will be indirectly elected by the members of the National Assembly and may serve a single 6-year term. The President will have a ceremonial role, while the Prime Minister will hold executive power. After each election, the parliamentary majority leader will be named President of the Council. The position does not have term limits.
The election period was marked by regional instability and “heightened political tensions” following the adoption of the 2024 Constitution and “a series of crackdowns on opposition protests.” There were reports of arrests of opposition members. Among those arrested and held for interrogation were opposition leaders Brigitte Kafui Adjamagbo-Johnson and Gérard Dodji Djossou on charges of criminal conspiracy and breach of internal state security. Some political parties said that campaign funding was insufficient.
The African Union (AU) Election Observation Mission to the Togolese Republic noted that voting “took place under calm and peaceful conditions.” Others reported that the voting was disorganised as some voters could not find their names on the register. While observers were satisfied with the election, opposition parties claimed there were irregularities in the vote. According to the AU’s Election Mission, opposition candidates and lists of independents lodged about thirty appeals. The court rejected these “on the grounds that they lacked convincing evidence.”
Women’s political participation and representation
Representation of women in Togolese political and public life remains low. Following the 2024 parliamentary polls, 21 out of 113 (18.6%) newly elected members are women. The polls were the first held after the adoption of Law N° 2024-005, expanding the members of the National Assembly from 91 to 113 and extending their terms from five to six years. Following the 2018 election, 15 out of the 91 members 16.5% were women.
Among the female candidates in the 2024 parliamentary polls were Victoire Dogbé, the current Prime Minister of Togo, Ms Brigitte Adjamagbo-Johnson, the first female candidate in Togo, and Ms Mimi Bossou-Soedjédé. During her campaign, Ms Dogbé “highlighted the work already accomplished and the importance of continuing along this path.” Praising her commitment, supporters said that Ms Dogbé represented a “guarantee for the future of Togolese women.” Ms Brigitte Adjamagbo-Johnson, called “on the Togolese people to support women candidates, highlighting the challenges they face, including physical risks.” Finally, Ms Mimi Bossou-Soedjédé, said her objective was “gender parity in the next Togolese parliament” because achieving such a result would change Togo for the better.
According to the Independent National Electoral Commission, 593 women ran for parliament out of 2348 validated candidates in the 2024 parliamentary polls and 438 women in the regional elections. There are 179 regional councillor seats. Regional deputies and municipal councillors elect members of the Senate. The constitutional amendments of 2022 and 2024 provide for a Senate; however, it has yet to be established. MEWC has yet to obtain the results from the regional elections. However, before the 2024 polls, data indicate that at the local level, 13.23% of municipal councillors, with only 12 women mayors out of 117 communes. As of 2019, women made up 12.97% of members in elected local deliberative bodies.
Togolese women were well represented in other areas during the election. As stated in the report by the AU’s Election Observation mission of the 4,203,711 voters, 2,262,396 were women (53.82%). In the polling stations, 3 out of 7 members (42.85%) were women.
Following the 2024 polls, the new government was presented. In the new cabinet 9 out of the 33 (not including the Prime Minister) ministers are women. They are:
- Ms Cina Lawson, Minister for Digital Economy and Digital Transformation
- Ms Kayi Mivedor, Minister of Trade, Craft Industry and Local Consumption
- Ms Yawa Kouigan, Minister for Communication, Media and Culture, Government Spokesperson
- Ms Mazamesso Assih, Minister for Grassroots Development, Financial Inclusion, Youth and Youth Employment
- Ms Manuella Modoukpè Santos, Minister for Industry and Investment Promotion
- LT-Col Lidi Kédéka Bessi-Kama, Minister for Sports and Leisure
- Ms Mawunyo Mila Ami Aziable, Minister for Water and Sanitation
- Ms Yawa Djigbodi Tsegan, Minister for Town Planning, Housing and Land Reform
- Professor Akossiwa Zinsou-Klassou, Minister for Social Action, Solidarity and Women Promotion
The current female representation declined slightly from the previous cabinet when women held 10 out of the 33 ministerial positions (not including the Prime Minister.) Among the portfolios held by women included the Minister of the Armed Forces, the Minister responsible for financial inclusion and the organisation of the informal and the Minister of Digital Economy and Digital Transformation.
While few women are engaged in politics, in recent years, Togolese women have been elected or appointed to important positions. In 2010, Madame Kafui Brigitte Adjamagbo Johnson made history when she became the first female presidential candidate. She was unanimously elected the Democratic Convention of African People (CDPA) presidential candidate at the party’s national convention. In 2019, Ms Yawa Djigbodi Tsegan became the first woman elected Speaker of the National Assembly. The following year, President Gnassingbé appointed Ms. Victoire Tomegah Dogbé Prime Minister. She is the first woman to serve in this role. Ms Dogbé previously served as chief of staff of the president’s office and development minister, among other roles. Ms Dogbé was reappointed Prime Minister in 2024.
Following the 2024 elections, Ms Yawa Tsegan Djigbodi became the country’s first female president of the National Assembly. At the regional level, the Honorable Memounatou Ibrahima of Togo was elected the first woman to serve as speaker of the Parliament of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in May 2024. She previously served as a member of the Togolese National Assembly.
Legal and policy reforms on women’s rights
The country has enacted other legislation advancing women’s rights. Togo uses a legislated candidate quota. Article 220 of the 2013 Electoral Code mandates that candidate lists submitted by political parties, groups of political parties and independent individuals include an equal number of women and men. The Togolese Republic is among four African nations with a targeted quota set at 50%. (The other countries are Algeria, Lesotho and Senegal.) The revised Electoral Code (most recently revised in January 2024) provides incentives to promote female candidates on party lists, such as reducing deposit fees for women by half.
Other legislation seeks to strengthen women’s rights in other areas, such as economic life. For example, the Labour Code prohibits discrimination based on gender in employment and provides equal remuneration for work of equal value. The Persons and Family Code states that a woman can be head of and can get a job without the authorization of her husband, and guarantees equality in inheritance.
Domestic and gender-based violence is, according to studies, insufficiently addressed. In an effort, the Togolese government adopted the National Gender Equity and Equality Policy in 2011, which aimed to address forms of violence against women. A review of existing policies does not reveal an updated version of the Gender Policy.
Challenges to women’s political participation
While the Electoral Law appears to have positively impacted women’s representation as it gradually increased from 1.2% in 1997 to 8.6% in 2007 and 18.6% following the most recent polls, parity has not been reached. Societal pressures that discourage Togolese women from participating in political and public life can in part explain the low female participation in political and public life. Togolese traditions and customs reinforce “patriarchal beliefs designating men as the “incarnation of authority” and women’s role as limited to “being a wife and mother responsible for all domestic chores.”
Women who wish to engage in or are actively involved in politics also face physical risks. While Law N° 2022-018 addresses domestic violence, women’s protection against such abuse is weak, and domestic violence is widespread in Togo. For example, studies show that a woman who works against her husband’s wishes can “ be a source of violence in the home.”
Most Togolese women work in the informal sector, and their participation in the formal labour market is lower than that of men. Though Togolese legislation enshrines equality, women face discrimination and limitations, such as access to employment and education. In Togo, the literacy rate among adult women is about 55.1% compared to 80% among men.
Moreover, Togolese women are disadvantaged concerning access to and ownership of land, productive assets and finance research suggests. Customary laws and practices further discriminate against women in areas such as inheritance, divorce, child custody and marriage. Both polygamy and child marriage are common in parts of Togo. Moreover, women disproportionately hold care work responsibilities, which limits their time to pursue political and economic activities. Challenges such as these negatively impact Togolese women’s political participation, and many women struggle to pay the 250,000 CFA francs required.
Togolese women advocating for change
Togolese women’s groups and female members of parliament have played and continue to play an important role in advancing women’s rights. Civil society organisations such as the Togolese section of Women in Law and Development in Africa (WiLDAF), the Groupe de réflexion et d’action Femme, Démocratie et Développement (GF2D) and the National Bar Association of Togo, were instrumental in the reforms of the Persons and Family Code. As part of their strategy, the groups “identified strategic agencies and stakeholders sympathetic to the overarching goal of gender equality making greater gender equality a reality.” They led advocacy efforts to address and reform discriminatory provisions of the Code, such as unequal rights within marriage, worked together with the Ministry of Social Action, Women, and Literacy, and organised specific work sessions with the Caucus of Parliamentary Women. Many CSOs also organised awareness campaigns to spread awareness of women’s rights. For example, GF2D, which works to improve gender equality and strengthen the rights of women and girls throughout Togo, focuses on dismantling rigid gender norms that perpetuate gender inequalities, notably through awareness-raising campaigns.
While the Togolese section of the Network of African Women Ministers and Parliamentarians (REFAMP-Togo) has been inactive over the past years, it recently resumed its work. Among its current efforts is to include all elected women in its Network, work toward greater integration of women in decision-making processes and ensure women’s full contribution to the country’s socio-economic development. In the past, the Network has advocated for and contributed to developing and implementing public policies.
Conclusion
In the recently concluded Togolese parliamentary elections, President Gnassingbé's UNIR won a sweeping victory, securing 108 out of 113 seats in the National Assembly. Of the remaining five seats, ADD won two. ANC, DMP and FDR one each. Of the newly elected members of the National Assembly, women represent 18.6% compared to 81.4% men.
While the Electoral Law provides for parity between women and men, it has yet to become a reality in Togo. Patriarchal beliefs and traditional views remain barriers to achieving parity in political life and a more inclusive and equitable society. Moreover, despite the Electoral Code stipulating that the amount of the deposit fee is half for female candidates, many women struggle to do so.
Female politicians, women's groups and activists play a critical role in encouraging female political participation, monitoring the implementation and enforcement of relevant legislation, and advocating for Togolese women's rights and their full and equal participation in decision-making. Togolese women’s groups were instrumental in addressing discriminatory provisions in the Persons and the Family Code. With the renewed engagement of REFAMP-Togo and the dedicated work of women’s groups and CSOs, there may be new opportunities for Togolese women to participate in political and public life. There may also be occasions to realise parity and an inclusive and equitable Togolese society.