Towards a Pan-African Women in Political Participation Barometer: Presentation of preliminary findings

This concept note outlines the need for the Women in Political Participation in Africa Barometer validation ahead of the launch of the Barometer on 18 March 2021. The validation will facilitate the finalisation of the Barometer publication with inputs from across Africa and references to key case studies. The reviewers will present a comprehensive report on preliminary findings of the research.

1. Background

International IDEA has, together with six of its partners, formed a gender consortium on “Enhancing the Participation of Women in Political Participation in Africa”. International IDEA formed a gender consortium on “Enhancing the Participation of Women in Political Participation in Africa” with six partners from across Africa. This undertaking,  funded by the Embassy of Sweden in Ethiopia, is a three-year project with an overall goal of increasing  the political participation and representation of women in Africa in line with the Maputo Protocol of 2003, various associated sub-regional protocols and standards and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The WPP knowledge products and visibility actions therefore serve as important material to publicize, share and raise awareness of the valuable work of women in political participation.

To flag off the work of the WPP consortium, a variety of context studies, situational analyses, policy briefs and research papers have been produced by the partners. As part of the WPP project, Gender Links, a WPP Consortium member, has been tasked with developing an Africa-wide Barometer on women in political participation. The Barometer seeks to measure the progress and gaps in the area of women in political participation, by country, ultimately providing an Africa-wide picture and evidence-based resource towards enhancing Women’s Political Participation in Africa.

2. Objectives

The discussion on the preliminary findings of the Barometer aims to:

• offer peer review and validation of the WPP Africa Barometer;
• augment the quality of the publication, while bringing into sharp focus critical issues relating to Africa's women in political participation;
• offer empirical analyses and case studies either of single countries, or of a comparative nature, which shed light on women in political participation; and
• provide recommendations for the finalization of the publication.

3. Outcomes

The barometer validation is expected to bring to bear a multi-stakeholder perspective on levels of and gaps in WPP in Africa. The discussion will enrich the publication linking it with other regional and global gender equality processes. Recommendations from the discussion will be taken on board towards the finalization of the Barometer, to be launched on 18 March 2021.