Comparative Impact Analysis Report on Women’s Political Participation Interventions in Kenya, Tanzania, and DRC
Over the past few decades, notable strides have been made towards gender equality in political representation, though challenges persist. By 2020, only four countries globally had met the 50% female representation target with Rwanda leading at slightly above 60%. Women’s representation in parliaments increased from 11.3% in 1995 to 25% in 2020. The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (1995) and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW, 1979) marked critical turning points for women’s empowerment, setting ambitious targets for gender balance in decision-making. Many countries adopted Temporary Special Measures (TSMs), such as gender quotas, to increase women’s representation in elected bodies. However, the implementation of these legal frameworks faces challenges due to cultural norms, structural barriers, and gender-based violence. In Africa, women constitute 24% of parliamentarians, with significant disparities among countries. Key barriers to women’s political leadership 1include patriarchal systems, negative sociocultural values, inadequate financial resources, and exclusionary political parties. In East Africa2, only 32% (634/1957) women occupy parliamentary seats with 33% women (581/1776) occupying seats in lower/single house chambers, and 29% (53/181) in the upper chambers.
The African Women’s Development and Communications Network (FEMNET), with support from International IDEA, is implementing a project aimed at enhancing women’s political participation in Kenya, Tanzania, and the DRC. This desktop impact comparative analysis was commissioned by FEMNET to assess the status of the women representation and participation in politics in Kenya, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Tanzania. The analysis findings will guide the future strategies for increasing the number and quality of women political participation in the target countries.