With just six years to go until 2030, it is unlikely that the majority of African countries will meet the 50% target set in SDG 5.5 on Women’s Political Participation (WPP). Women’s representation in African parliaments has increased by just one percentage point from 25% in 2021 to 26% in 2024. At this rate, it will take until 2100 for African countries to achieve gender parity in their parliaments. This assumes a linear progression, which is unlikely given that generally after countries achieve the 30% mark progress slows down. According to this second Women’s Political Participation (WPP) Africa Barometer 2024, women constitute just a quarter of the 13,057 parliamentarians in Africa – 26% in the lower houses, and 21% in the upper houses of parliament.

With just six years before 2030, the deadline for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), many African countries are still far from achieving women’s “equal and effective” participation in political decision-making.