A diverse group of women and men participating in a parliamentary session in Africa, highlighting progress in women’s political empowerment.
Across Africa, women are gaining a stronger foothold in national legislatures, reflecting a steady rise in female political participation over the past two decades. According to analysis by Deutsche Welle, women now hold at least 20% of parliamentary seats in more than half of the continent’s countries, with nations like Rwanda leading the world in female representation. Reforms such as gender quotas and electoral changes have helped boost these numbers, which studies link with improved literacy rates for girls and stronger maternity rights, proving that representation really does change lives. Yet progress remains uneven, with countries like Nigeria lagging far behind. Furthermore, critics caution that numbers alone don’t equal meaningful representation—particularly in one-party states like Ethiopia, where all 195 female parliamentarians belong to the ruling party.
DW