More women sit in African parliaments — but equality eludes

By the end of 2026, 15 countries across Africa will have elected new parliaments. While elections are being held in conditions as diverse and complex as the continent itself, there is one Africa-wide trend: The number of women running for or holding seats in their respective national parliaments has increased significantly in the past two decades. Overall, women hold at least 20% of the seats in the national legislatures of 31 of the 54 recognized countries across Africa. The global per-country average is 27.5% of parliamentary seats held by