Women's Representation in African Politics

Beschreibung

“The book offers a comprehensive understanding of how quotas aid women’s representation in African politics. The analysis on women parliamentarians is very detailed and it helps us to understand the perception of women parliamentarians and how they perform their duties in a system that fundamentally excludes them. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in quotas, women’s representation in African politics and why the participation of women in politics is important for protecting women.”

—Yanga Malotana, Commissioner, Commission for Gender Equality, South Africa

Does the election of more and more women into political offices mean that women’s interests will be better protected? This question forms the background upon which this book is written as it forms a timely intervention concerning the clamour for increased women’s representation in African politics. The book examines the relationship between gender quotas and gender-focused legislative/policy outcomes in the national Parliaments of South Africa and Botswana. By investigating the utility of gender quotas to ensure the substantive representation of women in African politics, the book engages the assumption that increased women’s political participation will automatically improve the qualitative well-being of African women. The book is intended for both academic and non-academic audiences with differing purposes. It contributes to scholarly debates on the transcending relevance of quotas beyond numbers. For non-academics, it provides opportunities to engage gender quotas as a policy tool to ensure the qualitative well-being of African women.

Zainab Monisola Olaitan is a Political Scientist working at the intersection of political philosophy, feminist thought and African politics with a focus on women’s qualitative representation. She is a Research Fellow at the Institute for Pan-African Thought and Conversation. She holds a PhD in Political Science from the University of Pretoria.

Does the election of more and more women into political offices mean that women’s interests will be better protected? This question forms the background upon which this book is written as it forms a timely intervention concerning the clamour for increased women’s representation in African politics. The book examines the relationship between gender quotas and gender-focused legislative/policy outcomes in the national Parliaments of South Africa and Botswana. By investigating the utility of gender quotas to ensure the substantive representation of women in African politics, the book engages the assumption that increased women’s political participation will automatically improve the qualitative well-being of African women. The book is intended for both academic and non-academic audiences with differing purposes. It contributes to scholarly debates on the transcending relevance of quotas beyond numbers. For non-academics, it provides opportunities to engage gender quotas as a policy tool to ensure the qualitative well-being of African women.

Autor*in

Zainab Monisola Olaitan

Themen in »Women's Representation in African Politics«

Gender quotas in Africa Substantive women's representation in African politics Increasing women's representation in African politics The value of gender quotas beyond numbers The impact of gender quotas in African politics Women's representation in African politics Women’s political representation Gender quotas politics in Botswana Quotas and women’s representation in South Africa

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“This book provides a timely contribution to the growing literature on gender dynamics of inclusive development. In the book, Olaitan explores the current state of women’s representation in politics, the adoption of gender quotas in different African countries, the value of quotas beyond numbers and whether quotas can be a means to foster the qualitative representation of African women. This book is a must-read for the most experienced political analysts and development practitioners, including policymakers, academics, public-private stakeholders, and civil societies, amongst many others. It offers a thoroughly researched and nuanced take on the assessment of the impact of gender quotas on women's representation in African politics beyond numbers to underscore its relevance in protecting women’s interests.” (Professor Tinuade Adekunbi Ojo, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa)

“This book is a needed voice in the era of women's emancipation in African politics and the acute dismissal of their legitimate contribution to the continent's development. The author re-ignites the subject of the quota system in achieving women's participation in African politics and the approaches to affording them favorable ground for the representation of Africans in political structures. Another critical aspect of the book that I find essential for readers is the ability of the author to link the prevalence of gender-based violence to the question of the quota system and substantive representation. She has successfully provided approaches to solving these arrays of challenges to adopting the systems and made recommendations worth consideration by leaders, stakeholders, and policymakers across Africa.” (Professor Toyin Falola, Jacob and Frances Sanger Mossiker Chair in the Humanities and University Distinguished Teaching Professor, the University of Texas, Austin, Texas)

“The book offers a comprehensive understanding of how quotas aid women’s representation in African politics. The analysis on women parliamentarians is very detailed and it helps us to understand the perception of women parliamentarians and how they perform their duties in a system that fundamentally excludes them. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in quotas, women’s representation in African politics and why the participation of women in politics is important for protecting women.” (Yanga Malotana, Project Manager: Future Democracies, Emerging Scholars Initiative, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa)

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