2.3. Challenges and Gaps 3. NORTH AFRICA ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 137

2.2.2. Policy and Institutional Reforms

To further promote the inclusion of women, the National Assembly in Tanzania Mainland has created the National Assembly Strategy and Action Plan 2018–2021, which prioritises women in politics.820 As of 2020, women hold 22% of the positions.821 Uganda is further addressing the issue of women in the government through the Uganda Women Parliamentary Association’s Strategic Plan 2016–2021, which aims to increase women’s participation and leadership, as well as to lobby for a law to include 50/50 representation of men and women.822 The Uganda Vision 2040 also envisages equal political participation for women in the nation.823 In the past 25 years, the representation of Kenyan women in the lower and single houses of Parliament has increased by 18.8% and is now at 21.8%.824 Similarly, the representation of women in the Mauritius Parliament increased from 5.7% in 2000 to 18.8% in 2010.825 The share of Parliament seats taken by women in both Kenya and Mauritius is close to the worldwide average of 19.1%.826 In 2010, 11% of candidates standing in the Mauritius general election were female, and a woman was nominated as vice president of the republic.827

In an effort to promote representation, the Government of Eritrea has mandated the National Union of Eritrean Women to act as the “women’s machinery.”828 These efforts have ensured the appointment of women to the positions of justice, health and tourism ministers, putting the representation of women at 18% in the Cabinet. Women also account for 22.5% of community court judges in the country.829 The share of women appointed to judicial positions in Ethiopia has also increased, with women accounting for 30% of the federal judiciary at all tiers.830 In 2019, Ethiopia recorded an exceptional improvement in terms of bringing women into higher decision-making positions. The prime minister allocated half of the 20 ministerial posts to women, appointed a female president for the country and assigned a prominent female human rights lawyer the role of president of Ethiopia’s Supreme Court.831 These appointments built on progress made when the roles of deputy prime minister in 2014 and deputy speaker of the house in 2010–2015 went to women.832 In 2017, Kenya also experienced a surge in women’s representation, with women accounting for 27.8% of the Cabinet.833 This was coupled with the election of three women to the Senate for the first time, and increased participation of women in the National Assembly, at 30.9%.834 The inclusion of women in the Djiboutian Parliament is aimed primarily at bringing progress on GBV and gender equality. To this end, the speaker of the house has introduced a women’s parliamentary caucus and a gender caucus, both mandated to advance the adoption of targeted legislation.835

Figure 11 East Africa: Percentage of Women MPs (% of members of parliament, 2020)

Rwanda 61.25% Ethiopia 38.76% Tanzania 36.72%

Uganda 34.86%

Somalia 24.36% South Sudan 28.40%

Seychelles 24.24% Djibouti 26.15%

Eritrea 22.00%

Kenya 21.78%

Comoros 16.67% Mauritius 20.00% Madagascar 17.88%

No data available for Sudan, as the parliament was dissolved following the 2019 coup d'etat. Source: Inter-Parliamentary Union.

2.3. Challenges and Gaps

To expand or add to constitutional reforms, the Sudanese National Election Act of 2008 states that 25% of women members must be elected through proportional representation from closed party lists.836 Meanwhile, in Tanzania, the National Assembly has 102 seats reserved for women out of 350, according to the Elections Regulations of 2010.837

Constitutional and legal reforms, enacted to include women in predominately male-occupied spaces, have been imperative to legal progress across various areas for women. For example, the impact of electing women to positions of decision-making in government is clear in Rwanda: much-needed reforms to inheritance and succession laws in 1999 came about thanks to the efforts of female parliamentarians.838 Meanwhile, in Uganda, the presence of women in the Parliament led to reforms increasing the

representation of women throughout politics, as well as increased maternal health funding.839 The inclusion of women has aided the introduction and passage of many gender-sensitive and gendered-centred bills and policies.840 However, while the election of women has been meaningful and necessary for the passage of laws essential to gender equality, women have encountered difficulties in taking on non-stereotypical roles. For example, in South Sudan, women have not led the Ministry of Finance or Ministry of Defence, and are rather assigned only to the Ministry of Gender, Child and Social Welfare.841 Although their participation in the latter is essential to the advancement of equality, women should not be restricted in the roles they play, but rather promoted to posts in all spheres of government.

Because of party-based voting, women in South Sudan are subject to political party requirements, such as those on literacy and paying election fees. These especially limit women’s participation.842 In 2018, women leaders encouraged the president to ensure 35% of appointments were given to women.843 However, in the committee formed to design the transitional government, only one of the 10 members was a woman.844 Meanwhile, in 2019, Sudan’s generals and leaders created a council that would rule Sudan until the elections; only two of the 11 members were women.845

In Tanzania, women have been given training on campaign skills and campaigning, with support from UN Women.846 The strategy of the Uganda Women Parliamentary Plan 2016–2021 is to prioritise the increased election of women in government, and gender parity. The central goals are to increase the representation of women in all decision-making bodies, aiming for 50/50 representation, and advocating for a law to make this legally binding.847