Discriminatory social norms, unequal power relations and growing gender-based violence still keep women out of political leadership across Africa, UN and European Union officials have warned. They spoke at the opening of a two-day inter-regional dialogue in Zanzibar on women and youth in leadership, AllAfrica reported, citing 263Chat. The officials said progress on representation and new gender equality laws have not closed the gap.
Julia Broussard, the UN Women Representative in Tanzania, said women hold just over a quarter of parliamentary seats in sub-Saharan Africa. In Tanzania, women make up about 38% of MPs. She warned that more seats have not always brought equal influence. Citing the OECD's 2023 Social Institutions and Gender Index, she said 43.9% of Tanzanians believe men make better political leaders than women.
Jean-Marc Pisani, the EU Ambassador to Tanzania and the East African Community, gave a wider picture. He said women hold an average of 27% of parliamentary seats and 26% of local government posts across sub-Saharan Africa. The figures vary by region. Women make up about 31% of parliaments in East and Southern Africa, 20% in Central Africa and 16% in West Africa. Rwanda, where women hold 64% of seats, shows what political will and strong institutions can achieve, he said.
Pisani argued that the problem lies not in laws or women's ability to lead. It lies in social attitudes and the failure to act on commitments. "Norms are not a cultural footnote to democracy. They determine who can take part in it," he said. He warned that abuse, threats and disinformation against women candidates are moving online. He called them attacks on democracy itself.
Tanzania's Minister for Community Development, Gender, Elders and Children, Saada Mkuya Salum, said women seeking office face public scrutiny and criticism with little chance to respond. "They will write. They will comment. They will do everything. And you don't have a chance actually to explain," she said. She added that household and caregiving duties leave women less time and money to build networks and campaign.
Broussard and Pisani both called for more than simply adding women to institutions. Broussard urged inclusive political bodies, gender-responsive media coverage and the involvement of men and boys in challenging biased attitudes. She also said young women should be seen as agents of change, not only as future leaders. Pisani asked men to back women's ambitions, speak out against harassment and share power. He also challenged journalists to examine how their stories shape what girls believe they can become.