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Resta Dzinyangoma, the council Vice Chairperson of Murehwa Rural District Council, has been a councillor since 2004. “I was very young when I got into the council, and it was not easy since it was a male dominated domain. When I got elected into the council, I was already doing gender work in my community, which I have continued doing to date.” 

In South Sudan, Africa's youngest nation, women's political participation remains low when there are calls to have more women in positions of power globally. The Republic of South Sudan gained its independence on the 9th of July 2011 but slid into political violence within barely two years of its existence.

Malawi has pledged to move in the right direction to achieve gender equality in the political spaces. The second quarter of 2022 saw the President of Malawi, Lazarus Chakwera, renewing his commitment to working towards 50/50 representation in Parliament.

Kenya is set to bring to an end 60 years of male dominance in politics following the nomination of a female candidate to become the country's first ever deputy president in this year's election.

Martha Karua was named as the preferred running mate of Kenya's opposition leader and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, who is running for the presidency. If she wins, she is set to become the first woman to occupy the office of deputy president in this year's presidential elections.

Women's groups in Ivory Coast had seized the Women Political Participation initiative to use it as an opportunity to change the country's history characterized by female exclusion in the political spheres.

The Government of Tanzania has adopted policies that advance gender equality and youth inclusion in a supportive enabling environment. However, the legal and regulatory framework and the sector-specific policies of government ministries and independent departments have yet to be aligned with these policies.

Botswana is undergoing a historic Constitutional Amendment, an exercise that is expected to usher women with a window of opportunity for gender parity in governance.

Over the last 100 years, research shows that women’s role in the army has changed fast and, in some cases, quicker- than society has changed. That development has been witnessed globally- including in Africa, where a growing number of states are now appointing women to head their defence ministries.

Gender parity in continental leadership remains elusive after one of Africa’s leading organizations, the Pan African Parliament (PAP), recently elected a man to lead the institution. Last week, Zimbabwean-born Chief Fortune Charumbira was elected as the new Pan African Parliament president. He became the fifth president and the fourth man to lead the organization since its formation in 2004.

Africa's efforts for gender parity in governance might finally yield positive results amid revelations that several countries holding elections this year will field more female candidates than before.

The Economic Community of West African States Female Parliamentarians Association (ECOFEPA) launched the first edition of the Women and Girls Leadership Symposium under the theme “Unleashing the Potentials of Women and Girls in Politics and Entrepreneurship” last month at the ECOWAS Parliament in Abuja.

Last month, the National Assembly in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) voted for a new law that waives deposit fees for political parties that submit a candidacy list comprising 50 percent women, a move to increase women’s political participation in the country.

Citizens are increasingly becoming optimistic that the occupation of key decision-making positions at the council level will result in good service provision. No doubt, Local Authorities are the providers of basic services like health, water, waste management and housing.

International IDEA Sudan’s programme celebrated the graduation of the first batch from the Young Women Democracy Academy (YWDA) on 9 August 2022.

Africa has made significant progress in enhancing inclusive political participation and representation, mostly for women, youth and people living with disabilities. This report unpacks the trends and challenges of inclusive participation in Africa.