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Out of 14 heads of government across the world with a female head, only one is from Africa. Despite the gains made in recent years regarding the education of the girl-child, women in ministerial positions are still a far cry from the average in other climes. Rwanda, Gambia, and South Africa have taken a major leap, but why do is it that there is still an average representation of 20 percent on the continent?
One notable reason for lower female representation is the nature of politics in Africa. Apart from the fact that it is costly, women are often at a disadvantage as they are unable to meet up with the financial requirements of campaigns. The few who make it out there are appointed to compensate for cronies of politicians or have been proven to be distinguished in their professions.
Moreover, ministerial appointments are often single-handedly carried out by heads of government without laws that set quotas for both genders.
Here is a percentage list of women ministerial representation in Africa according to uneca.org.
Countries Percentage of Female Ministerial Representation % From the first to the last.
Rwanda 61%
The Gambia 50%
South Africa 50%
Uganda 38%
Burundi 38%
Eswatini 31%
Kenya 30%
Chad 27%
Zimbabwe 27%
Cape Verde 25%
Namibia 25%
Madagascar 23%
Ghana 23%
Tunisia 23%
Eritrea 22%
Ethiopia 22%
Egypt 22%
Angola 21%
Tanzania 20%
Sierra Leone 18%
Zambia 18%
Botswana 17%
Nigeria 16%
Mozambique 16%
South Sudan 16%
Seychelles 13%
Somalia 11%
Mali 12%
Côte D’Ivoire 11%
Liberia 10%
Mauritius 11%
Lesotho 10%
Malawi 10%
Algeria 7%
Djibouti 6%
Libya 5%
Morocco 5%
Cameroon 5%
Central African Republic 0%
Header Image Credit: iknowpolitics.org
