Women, Power, and the New Governance Landscape in West and Central Africa

Publication description (maximum 250 words): In Women, Power, and the New Governance Landscape in West and Central Africa, Dr. Maxime Houinato, UN Women Regional Director for West and Central Africa, examines women’s political participation as a transformative force in reshaping governance across the region. Moving beyond numerical representation, the article situates women’s leadership within a broader historical and institutional context, tracing how colonial and post-colonial state-building entrenched exclusion while erasing pre-colonial traditions of women’s authority.

Drawing on regional data, comparative case studies, and policy analysis, the paper explores the realities women face in accessing political power, including high campaign costs and gendered media scrutiny, as well as political violence and restrictive party systems. It highlights both progress and paradox: while countries such as Senegal have advanced parity laws that significantly increased women’s parliamentary representation, others, including Nigeria, continue to record some of the lowest rates of women’s legislative participation globally. 

The article underscores the importance of legal frameworks, such as quotas and reserved seats, and compares reforms in Benin and Senegal to illustrate different pathways to inclusion. It also examines executive leadership trends in contexts like the Democratic Republic of Congo, where constitutional commitments coexist with persistent structural barriers. Ultimately, the analysis argues that women are not beneficiaries of governance reform but central actors in political transformation. Sustainable progress requires moving beyond counting women to redistributing power through institutional redesign, political financing reform, leadership development, and norm change across West and Central Africa.