2025 saw African voters head to the polls in several countries across the continent. Women's representation in parliaments showed a modest improvement overall, with the average share of women elected rising slightly to 28% from 27% in the previous elections. However, results were mixed: while Tanzania's incumbent female president was re-elected and a small number of countries saw increases in women elected to parliament, the percentage of women elected declined in the majority of countries that held parliamentary elections.
In 2025, 13 elections were held across Africa. Four elections were held in Western Africa (Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea, Niger, Togo) and in Central Africa (Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Gabon) respectively. Three were conducted in Eastern Africa (Comoros, Seychelles, Tanzania). While Northern Africa (Egypt) and Southern Africa (Malawi) held one, respectively.
Scheduled elections for 2025 were postponed or suspended in Cameroon (parliamentary), Equatorial Guinea (parliamentary), and Burkina Faso (Presidential/ parliamentary). Togo held its first indirect elections for the Senate. Parliamentary elections were expected to be held in Niger, but the transitional period was extended. At the time of writing, a new date for the Nigerien parliamentary elections has not been announced.
Although women’s representation saw a small improvement and the average percentage of women elected to the lower/single house increased, women’s representation overall remains below 30%, and there are few female presidential candidates.
Beyond the Vote: How Women Fared in Africa's 2025 Elections
Parliamentary elections
In the nine (9) countries (Burundi, Central African Republic, Comoros, Côte d'Ivoire, Egypt, Malawi, Niger, Tanzania, Seychelles) where parliamentary elections were held, women averaged 28% of the members elected to the lower/single houses. This represents a slight increase from the previous elections in those same countries, when the average stood at 27%. The 2025 parliamentary elections produced the following results for women in the lower/single house:
- The percentage of women elected declined in most countries.
- In three countries — Burundi, Seychelles, and Tanzania — the percentage of women elected increased.
- Egypt saw a marginal decline, broadly in line with its previous result.
Of the countries that held parliamentary elections, the majority do not have gender quotas. Of those where quotas are in place — Burundi, Egypt, Côte d'Ivoire, Central African Republic, Niger, and Tanzania — Burundi, Tanzania, and Egypt met their respective targets. Côte d'Ivoire, with a 30% quota target, elected only 13.4% of women — well short of the threshold.
Presidential elections
In 2025, nine (9) presidential elections (Cameroon, Central African Republic, Côte d'Ivoire, Gabon, Guinea, Malawi, Seychelles, Tanzania, Togo) were held. Overall, female representation among presidential candidates in 2025 remains extremely low. Of the 84 presidential candidates across all elections, only eight were women, and 76 were men. Five countries —Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Gabon, Malawi and Tanzania — had at least one female presidential candidate, while the Central African Republic, Guinea, Seychelles and Togo had none. Of the eight female candidates, one was successful: Samia Suluhu Hassan was re-elected President of Tanzania.
Towards parity
The ambition of achieving equal representation in the lower/single houses of parliament across the continent goes unmet. The 2025 elections delivered a slight overall improvement in the average share of women elected, but with several countries recording declines and few making substantial gains, the pace of change remains slow and inconsistent.
As of 1 January 2026, Rwanda remains the only country in Africa where women’s representation in the lower/single house is 50% or higher, with 63.8%. Compared to the previous year, countries with representation above 40% grew from five to six countries, with Angola joining South Africa, Cabo Verde, Ethiopia, Senegal, and Namibia — placing them among the strongest performers on the continent. A further ten countries fall in the 30–39.99% range, one fewer than the previous year, as Angola’s movement upward was only partially offset by Burundi and Tanzania joining the band following their 2025 elections. Fourteen countries have women holding between 20% and 29.99% of seats, up from thirteen, while sixteen countries remain in the 10–19.99% range. At the lower end of the scale, four countries continue to have female representation below 10% — though the composition of this group has shifted, with Nigeria now among them at just 4.2%.
Regional disparities in women’s representation in the lower/single house remain pronounced. Eastern Africa leads with a regional average of 29.7%, though this is heavily shaped by Rwanda’s exceptional performance. Southern Africa follows at 28.7%, sustained by consistent results from South Africa, Namibia, Angola, and Mozambique, all of which exceed 38%. Central Africa averages 23.7%, while Western Africa stands at 22.3%. Northern Africa continues to trail the rest of the continent with a regional average of 19.1%.
Gains in Women’s Political Leadership and Political Representation
Despite uneven progress in women’s representation in political and public life, the 2025 elections brought positive developments and achievements that are worth highlighting. They include:
Cameroon:
- Patricia Tomaïno Ndam Njoya, President of the UDC and presidential candidate.
Côte d'Ivoire:
- Two women presential candidates: former First Lady Simone Gbagbo (Movement of Capable Generations (MGC)) and former minister and prominent women’s rights campaigner, Ms Henriette Lagou Adjoua (Group of Political Partners for Peace (GP-PAIX)).
Gabon:
- Ms Zenaba Gninga Chaning, presidential candidate.
Malawi:
- Former President Joyce Banda, presidential candidate.
Seychelles:
- Women hold a majority of the ministerial positions, 8 of 14.
Tanzania:
- President Samia Suluhu Hassan was re-elected President of Tanzania.
Conclusion
The 2025 elections produced a mixed record on women's political representation across Africa. In most countries that held parliamentary elections, the percentage of women elected declined, and women's representation in the lower/single house remains below 30% on average across the continent. Female presidential candidacy remains the exception rather than the norm: of the 84 presidential candidates across nine elections, only eight were women, and five countries had no female candidate at all.
Nevertheless, the year was not without progress. Samia Suluhu Hassan's re-election as President of Tanzania stands as a landmark achievement, consolidating her position as Africa's only elected female head of state. In Burundi, Seychelles, and Tanzania, the percentage of women elected to parliament increased, and in the Seychelles, women hold a majority of ministerial positions. Countries such as Burundi, Tanzania, and Egypt met their respective quota targets, demonstrating that where the political will exists, commitments to gender parity can be honoured.
Of the countries that held parliamentary elections, the majority do not have gender quotas in place. Where quotas exist, results have been uneven. Côte d'Ivoire, with a 30% target, elected only 13.4% women — a significant shortfall that points to the gap between legislative commitments and electoral outcomes. As of 1 January 2026, Rwanda remains the sole African country where women hold a majority of parliamentary seats, while Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation, continues to record the continent's lowest level of female representation at 4.2%.