On 29 December 2024, the voters of the Republic of Chad gathered to elect the 188 members of the new National Assembly. The election comes approximately 7 months following the presidential polls. It marked the first parliamentary election since 2011 and the military takeover in 2021.
Since 2021, the National Transitional Council, a transitory body made up of appointed members, has been the country’s legislative body. Chad has experienced realized and attempted coups d’etat, political instability, and the election took place as the country faces regional instability and cross-border tensions and is hosting a growing number of refugees. The election comes at the end of the two-year transitional period. The opposition called for a boycott of the election, citing fears of vote rigging and calling it fraudulent and an attempt by President Mahamat Idriss Deby to legitimise his rule.
According to the National Election Management Agency (ANGE) about 46% (8.3 million) of Chadians registered to vote. There were reportedly 1,300 candidates from about 180 political parties competing in the parliamentary polls. Early reports indicate that 36% of the country’s 8.3% registered voters participated in the parliamentary polls. The Patriotic Salvation Movement (MPS) won the most seats (66%) in the parliamentary election with 124 out of 188 seats at stake, followed by the Rally of Chadian Nationalists/Awakening (RNDT/ Le Réveil) with 12 seats. The remaining seats were split by various parties. Notably, 27 parties received one seat each. In the weeks following the legislative election, Chad has experienced instability, and a deadly gun battle in the capital resulted in at least 19 people killed. In the run-up to the elections, there was an increase in attacks and violence, and as a result, the National Election Management Agency (ANGE) asked the military to protect election officials and candidates.
Women’s political participation and representation in Chad
Women’s representation in elected and appointive offices in Chad remains low. In the recently concluded 2024 elections, women comprised 34% (64 out of 188) of the National Assembly members elected. Women occupy 25 out of the 69 seats (36.2%) in the Senate. In the Transitional National Council women comprised 51 (25.8%) out of the 197 members.
Article 34 of the Chad 2018 Constitution explicitly promotes women’s participation in elected bodies and public institutions by requiring political parties to ensure that at least 30% of candidates on their lists are women. In addition, gender parity was formalized through Decree No. 0433 of 5 March 2021, which implements Ordinance No. 012/PR/2018 and establishes a 30% quota for women in both appointed and elected positions, with the stated objective of gradually advancing toward full parity.
Only 1 woman in Chad’s history has run for President: Lydie Beassemda, who stood as a candidate in 2021 and again in 2024 as the only female presidential candidate in both cases. She had served as Minister of Higher Education and Research under Chad’s Transitional Military Council.
Six women currently occupy ministerial positions in Chad’s 37-member cabinet:
Legislative and policy reforms on women’s rights
Chad implemented a legislated quota, set at 30%, for both the national and sub-national levels. Political parties or coalitions of political parties are obligated to follow the quota “to ensure the admissibility of the candidatures.” Moreover, if there are more than two seats to be filled in a constituency, political parties or coalitions must not only adhere to the quota, they must alternate between women and men on their lists. If a constituency has two seats to be filled, political parties and coalitions must respect parity between women and men on the list of candidates. Lists for legislative and local elections where women do not comprise at least 30% of the candidates will not be accepted.
Code du Travail prohibits discrimination in employment based on gender and mandates equal remuneration for work of equal value. There is legislation on sexual harassment in employment. Loi No. 001/PR/2017 provides criminal penalties for sexual harassment in employment. Under the Civil Code, a woman cannot be head of household/ family in the same way as a man, and it states that women do not have the same rights to remarry as men.
There are no legal provisions prohibiting discrimination in access to credit based on gender. Women cannot open bank accounts in the same way as men (Civil Code.), and they do not have equal ownership rights to immovable property. Under the Civil Code, women can sign contracts the same way as men. The Civil Code also states that daughters and sons have equal rights to inherit assets from their parents, and female and male surviving spouses have equal rights to inherit assets.
The constitution of Chad explicitly refers to the prohibition of “premature marriages” and prohibits FGM. Chad’s 2017 Penal Code criminalises domestic violence (Article 342) by imprisonment of six months to three years and a fine of 20,000 to 200,000 francs.
The Transitional Charter ensures fundamental rights and freedoms (Article 9). While the Charter does not explicitly address gender or women, it states that Chadians of both sexes have the same rights and duties and are equal before the law (Article 10). It also states that the members of the National Transitional Council shall include representatives from, among others, women’s organisations, political parties, youth and civil society organisations and people living with disabilities.
Challenges to women’s political participation
The Transitional Charter states that the National Transitional Charter shall include representatives from, among others, women’s and youth organisations, civil society organisations, people living with disabilities and politico-military signatories to the Doha peace agreement. It enshrines equality but does not specifically prohibit discrimination based on gender or sex, or contain provisions specifically aimed at strengthening the rights of women.
Senior transitional leaders, including Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno, have publicly emphasized women’s role in national development and the political transition, notably during symbolic occasions such as International Women’s Day, where they called for greater inclusion of women and an end to violence against women. Similarly, government representatives have stated that women should be represented in electoral processes and decision-making institutions, often referencing Chad’s commitments under regional and international gender-equality frameworks .
In international forums, Chadian authorities have pointed to legal reforms and electoral quota provisions (notably a 30% quota for women on candidate lists) as evidence of progress toward parity and the protection of women’s rights. These statements, however, have typically been made in the context of government reporting to international bodies, rather than through specific initiatives or directives issued by the Transitional Council itself.
At the same time, women’s organizations and civil society groups have publicly criticized the gap between rhetoric and implementation, arguing that transitional authorities have not taken sufficient concrete steps to enforce parity laws or strengthen substantive protections for women’s rights during the transition. Challenges such as high and inaccessible application fees, resistance to women seeking office, and a mindset that women are not educated enough for political office still persist.
Women in Chad advocating for change
Women’s rights organizations in Chad play a critical role in advancing gender equality, political participation, and inclusive governance. Key actors include the Chadian League for Women’s Rights, the National Council of Women Leaders of Chad (Conseil National des Femmes du Tchad), More Women in Leadership, the Coalition of Women Mediators for Sustainable Peace (CFMPD), and the Association of Women for Development and Culture of Peace in Chad. Collectively, these organizations engage in sustained advocacy to promote women’s rights, strengthen women’s leadership, and increase women’s participation in political and decision-making processes.
In 2023, the CFMPD organized an advocacy dialogue with political parties aimed at promoting the political participation of women and youth, emphasizing the importance of inclusive representation in electoral and governance processes. Similarly, in the period leading up to the elections, the Association of Women for Development and Culture of Peace in Chad conducted a training workshop for women political leaders, with the objective of strengthening their leadership skills and enhancing their participation in political life following the elections.
Conclusion
Chad’s 29 December 2024 parliamentary elections marked the country’s first legislative polls since 2011 and formally ended the two-year transitional period following the 2021 military takeover. The ruling Patriotic Salvation Movement (MPS) emerged as the dominant force, winning 124 of the 188 seats (66%), followed by the Rally of Chadian Nationalists/Awakening (RNDT–Le Réveil) with 12 seats, while the remaining seats were divided among smaller parties, including 27 parties that each secured a single seat. Voter participation was low, with early figures indicating turnout of about 36% of the 8.3 million registered voters, reflecting ongoing political tensions, opposition boycotts, and a challenging security environment.
Women made up 34% of the newly elected National Assembly (64 of 188 members), slightly exceeding the 30% quota required by law. Women also hold 36.2% of seats in the Senate (25 of 69) and six ministerial positions in the 37-member cabinet. Despite these gains, women remain underrepresented in senior political leadership, and only one woman - Lydie Beassemda - has ever run for president.
Overall, the elections highlight both progress and persistent gaps in women’s political participation in Chad. While quota laws and advocacy efforts by women’s organizations have contributed to increased representation, significant barriers remain, including weak enforcement of parity laws, discriminatory legal provisions, and structural and socio-cultural obstacles. Addressing these challenges will be essential for translating numerical gains into meaningful and sustained political influence for women in Chad.