The path to parliament is still thorny for African women

In a crucial year for elections on the African continent, three women who will take office in 2024 spoke about the obstacles they see in politics, and where women can make gains.

During the past year, 18 out of 54 countries in Africa went to the polls for presidential or general elections, making 2024 an important year on the continent.

There were high hopes for a renewed commitment to fair governance, transparency, and equal representation. In particular, there were hopes for women’s political participation and the election of more women to hold positions to form policies that address the needs of the population on the African continent.

Long way

Statistics related to the representation of women in Parliament revealed a greater degree of optimism, as the percentage of female members of Parliament in Africa increased slightly from 25% in 2021 to 26% until July 2024, which indicates that the path to Parliament is still thorny for African women.

Quotas aimed at boosting women’s representation have resulted in notable successes in countries such as Rwanda, South Africa, Senegal and Tanzania, but this one percentage point increase reveals that there is still a long way to go to achieve equal political participation for African women.

Breaking down barriers for women requires more than just political reforms. It requires a cultural shift in societal attitudes, stronger implementation of gender equality measures, and tireless advocacy to ensure women’s full participation in the political arena.

To reveal more details on this topic, one question was asked to three female politicians from Senegal, Mozambique, and South Africa about their struggle to reach Parliament in 2024, and the change they hope to bring about.

Senegal

Senegalese woman, Thérèse Fay Dieuve (43 years old), spoke at the beginning of her comment about a memory that she will never forget during her candidacy for the position of mayor of a city, saying: “At a meeting I held with the local community, there was an old man who confirmed that it would be very difficult for him to support a candidate who wears earrings.” Golden, as this was his way of speaking, he did not want a woman mayor, but after my election he came back to say that he regretted his words, and realized that women are more effective than men when it comes to governance.

Diove added: “In November, one of 73 women was elected for the first time in a 165-member parliament, the highest percentage in West Africa. This is a small sign of progress, as there were only four women in the 34-person appointed executive cabinet.” In April.

She continued: “My six children know me as their mother, but my constituents in Diyari, in the Vatik region in southwestern Senegal, know me as the mother of the Diyari community. I was their mayor from 2014 to 2022, and I was the first woman elected to this position. I also previously held the position of Minister of Women’s Affairs.” Community development and social equality under the previous government of President Macky Sall.”

Challenges

Diove explained: “After studying sociology at university, I worked as a legislative assistant and then headed an early childhood care agency. My father, a policeman, was initially reluctant to allow me to participate in politics, and I faced other challenges, but multitasking helped me a lot, as I combined Work, academia, politics, and I defended my master’s thesis a few weeks after giving birth.”

She stated that in March 2011, the government accused her of participating in a failed coup, but she was acquitted, noting that her daughter was only six months old at the time.

Diove said: “As Minister of Women’s Affairs, I pushed for a draft law on social protection, but after I left office, no one touched on it,” adding: “As a member of parliament from the Alliance for the Republic party, this could be an opportunity for me to re-present it to the public.” At the table, I will also push for women’s access to land… These things should be the government’s concern, and we should focus on basic education, and urging young people to adopt respect for intellectuals, to choose the best.”

Mozambique

For her part, Ruti Mangati (56 years old) from Mozambique said: “My message to women and girls is that if they want change in this country, they must fight for it, and struggle means political participation.”

She explained: “In October, I ran for the second time as a member of parliament for the Podemos party in the city of Maputo. We did not win any seat in the 2019 elections, but we are now the largest opposition party. We in the Podemos party are disappointed with the ruling Frelimo party, as our country has become In a difficult situation because of him, there is a class that sees itself as the master of others, as the Frelimo party is the one that rules only for the benefit of this class and not for the benefit of the country.

She added: “We have natural resources, but people do not benefit from them at all. For example, we have a lot of wood, but there are children sitting on the floor in school due to a lack of chairs. We also have a lot of gas, but many Mozambicans are still unable to “We can cook with gas, and we also have the Cahora Bassa hydroelectric power station, but energy is very expensive.”

Bitter experience

Mangati continued: “My greatest dream is for the largest percentage of our extracted resources to go to the Mozambican people, and my ambition is to become the president of a politically balanced parliament, where all parties can discuss and approve laws unanimously, for the benefit of the people.”

She explained: “Women in Mozambique hold 43% of parliamentary seats, and I hope this will continue, because we have something to say in the political arena… I do not suffer any discrimination in the Podemos party, and there are equal opportunities and rights, so I have never felt deprived because I am a woman.” .

She said: “I went through a very bitter experience during the 2024 elections, which shows how difficult political work is in Mozambique when the elections are characterized by irregularities. I also witnessed the exchange of accusations and arguments in one of the polling stations in Maputo, where I went to observe the vote counting process.”

South Africa

In turn, Steph Letsiki (38 years old) from South Africa said: “When I reached adolescence, I was a member of the Youth League of the African National Congress (the largest political party in South Africa), but I did not remain active as an adult, because the work I was doing As an activist in the social justice movement, he was actually holding the state accountable. I have seen political neglect, especially with regard to gender issues, women’s issues, and vulnerable groups,” she asked, “Are we allowing the struggle waged by the African National Congress and others, and the freedom for which they fought, to be wasted?”

Letsiki added: “When I ran for the National Executive Committee in 2022, we knew that we needed a strong campaign, but I was not successful that year, but the leadership of the African National Congress was ready for a radical change and strengthened its activity.”

She explained: “In January 2023, I was among four people brought to the National Executive Committee to ensure that the leadership represents society in South Africa. In May 2024, I was elected to Parliament as a representative of the African National Congress, and in July I was appointed Deputy Minister of Women, Children and Persons with Disabilities.” .

A man’s name

Letsicki continued: “I use my first name (Steve) because I got it when I was a football player, so a lot of people get confused, and ask: Steph? Is he a man? I don’t identify as a man and I never will. I’ve had a lot of gender misidentifications, and I always have to correct that. There have also been bullying comments made about me online. People know I don’t take bullshit. I’ll take care of them. I’ll challenge them. I won’t leave anything unturned. To change it, and if it is wrong, it is wrong and should be criticized.”

Steph said: “In the ministry, you do not have the right to distance yourself from society, but you have to become that active government, and when conflicts occur, I provide assistance to everyone who needs it, just simple things like this, because they are meaningful things.. My ambition is to “South Africans can thrive and be able to see themselves as part of the change.” About the Guardian

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Large disparity between genders

For more than a decade, the human rights organization Make Every Woman Count has been tracking women’s political participation across Africa.

Unfortunately, this organization did not see the progress it had hoped over the past year, as there were three women holding the position of heads of state across Africa during 2014, while in 2024 there are only two: the President of Tanzania, Samia Suluhu Hassan, and Nitumbo Nande. Ndayitwah, who became the first elected president of Namibia on December 3rd.

Ndayitwah was the only woman among 15 candidates, which confirms the large gender disparity in the competition for senior positions. However, Ghana achieved a historic victory for women by electing Professor Nana Jane Opoku Agyemang as Vice President for the first time.

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Difficult terrain for African politicians

African women who have broken barriers include the former president of Liberia, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the former president of Malawi, Joyce Banda, the president of Mauritius, Amina Gurib-Fakim, and the former interim president of the Central African Republic, Catherine Samba-Panza. But for most African women, the political terrain is too rugged. This makes it difficult for them to ascend to high political positions.

Few women make this journey, knowing that their male colleagues may try to undermine their endeavors.

In their attempts to assume leadership positions, qualified African women can expect to face gender-based attacks.

Former Nigerian Senator, Lillian Ekwunife, said that the proposals put forward by senior male office holders, as a precondition for entering the field, are unacceptable, noting that this is a tactic that men have used for years to discourage women from entering the political arena.

. 3 female politicians from Senegal, Mozambique and South Africa tell their stories about their struggle to reach parliament in 2024.

. The proportion of female MPs in Africa increased slightly from 25% in 2021 to 26% by July 2024.