Gendered Institutions and Women’s Political Representation in Africa

Abstract

Gendered institutions in this book are described as social structures, norms, and practices that maintain gender inequalities and stereotypes, often to the advantage of men. Many political systems in Africa are patriarchal, with traditional leadership structuresdominated by men. The book highlights the formal and informal political institutions that make it difficult for African women to gain access to political power or to have their voices heard within the African political establishment. Additionally, many of the rules and customs of African political institutions are biased against women and sometimes require candidates to have a certain level of education or financial autonomy that may be more difficult for women to attain. These gendered institutions have contributed to the under-representation of African women in politics. While there has been progress in recent years, women remain significantly underrepresented in African decision-making bodies such as African National Parliaments. This book has eight chapters, with each chapter representing a unique case study of a country in Africa. The eight African countries that the book focuses on are South Africa,Tanzania, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, and Botswana.