Women in African Politics Today
Last month Tanzania celebrated a major milestone as their first female leader, Samia Suluhu Hassan, assumed power following the death of former president John Magufuli. She becomes one of nine total female leaders on the continent, and as the Ethiopian presidency is largely ceremonial, the only current female leader. This development comes as women’s position in parliaments and government has improved greatly across the continent, however, celebration without reservation is still far off.
At face value, Africa is making great progress for women’s rights. From 2000–2018 the proportion of women parliamentarians in Africa almost doubled, with women’s representation in cabinet increasing fivefold to 22% from 1980 to 2015. Indeed, the sub-Saharan African region is currently 2nd only to Europe in terms of female heads of parliament currently in office. Rwanda even has the highest number of women members in parliament globally (61.25%). This progress continues as new quotas for female parliamentarians come into place in more countries, taking the total to 13. On paper then, Africa is a leader for female representation and leadership in politics. Whilst these advances cannot be dismissed, areas remain where further progress is needed for women in positions of power on the continent. To celebrate too early would be to overlook these issues and ultimately do the women of Africa a disservice.
When looking beyond the data it becomes clear that women in Africa still face several gender-based challenges. Women across the continent are least likely to hold higher political positions and exercise authority. Women in positions of power overwhelmingly have little decision-making power and are excluded from important government decisions on issues such as legislation, policies, or budget allocation. African women ministers are half as likely as their male peers to be appointed to influential positions and tend to be delegated to committees that are perceived as ‘soft’, such as social affairs, family, or education. This demonstrates the continued impact of cultural norms and gender-based stereotypes on women’s political participation and displays how qualitatively women still face several barriers to effective participation, even if their participation is quantitatively nearing equality.
Furthermore, high profile efforts to promote women’s rights can help authoritarian leaders present themselves as modernisers and deflect from criticisms. Party issues and loyalties also hinder female leaders from fully realising change for women, as was the case for Joyce Mujuru, who was overwhelmingly viewed as a political pawn rather than a vehicle for effective change. Indeed, under her government hundreds of women protesting their deteriorating living conditions were arrested. Similarly, during Samia Suluhu Hassan’s vice premiership President Magufuli enacted legislation banning pregnant teenage girls from attending school and prohibiting family planning. It is unclear if Hassan opposed this legislation. In more extreme cases, as in Libya, women who put themselves forward for election or hold political positions face abduction and assassination. Whilst women in Libya are increasingly standing up to the dominant male government, these dangers are far from uncommon on the continent.
It is also important to note that a majority of female leaders on the continent have been caretaker presidents or successors following the death of the elected leader. This is not to discredit these women or their leadership, instead to highlight that it is still difficult for a woman to be elected outright. What is also interesting is the link between past violence and female leadership. There is a link between post-conflict societies and better women’s rights, as conflict allows for demographic changes and in many instances, creates opportunities for women to transform their position in society. In Rwanda, for example, following the 1994 genocide there were 4 men for every 6 women, allowing women stepping into roles traditionally dominated by men. This may, in part, account for the strong position of women in power in present-day Rwanda. Similarly, in some liberation wars, such as South Africa and Zimbabwe, women fought alongside men. This may also explain the strong position of women in the parliaments of South Africa and Zimbabwe today. To fully realise gender equality on the continent, women must achieve political strength in countries outside of conflict transformation.
Clearly, therefore, much progress remains to be made. To combat several of the stereotypes and cultural norms holding women back, further knowledge should be generated. Most of which should come from Africa-specific experts, rather than exporting Western findings onto the continent. Parliamentary institutions will continue to be important, including parliamentary committees and women’s caucuses. Internal reviews of gender bias in parliamentary institutions will be essential, as will community help to develop programmes that go beyond just adding women to politics. Reducing barriers such as access to education, promoting a women-driven economy, encouraging leadership and eradicating violence against women and girls would greatly improve women’s ability to reach positions of political power and leadership.
By removing these barriers and moving the African continent further along the path to gender equality, Africa could greatly develop as a continent. Opening up positions of political power are likely to lead to development policies are more effective and better implemented. Large increases in parliamentary representation are associated with rises in government spending on public health, and a variety of positive health outcomes. These include improvements on women’s life expectancy and reductions in both maternal and infant mortality. The NYTimes reports that women leaders tend to value varied information and diverse perspectives, similarly, the Guardian reported female leaders as more likely to employ risk averse strategies to protect their citizens. Looking to the future, hopefully African countries can effectively implement strategies for the enhancement of women’s rights on the continent.
