African legislatures have been challenged to use their lawmaking powers to dismantle the political, economic, cultural and social barriers limiting women’s participation and representation in governance across the continent.
The call was made by the Secretary-General of the Conference of Speakers and Presidents of African Legislatures (COSPA), Dapo Oyewole, during an interview on the sidelines of the 2026 Gender and Inclusion Summit in Abuja.
Oyewole said African parliaments must move beyond commitments to concrete legislative reforms capable of compelling political parties and institutions to create greater opportunities for women.
“One is political leadership, galvanising the support that is needed at the very senior levels of government that will ensure that every agency of government is working in that same direction of ensuring that women are adequately represented,” he said.
He identified affirmative action, particularly at the point of political nominations, as one of the measures that could significantly improve women’s representation.
Oyewole advocated electoral reforms that would require political parties to ensure 50 per cent female participation at the nomination stage, citing Rwanda, South Africa and Senegal as examples where legal provisions have strengthened women’s political representation.
“When they have enshrined this into law, it is now impossible for political actors to shut women out and when they are shut out, well, the law kicks in,” he said.
According to him, COSPA is working towards a framework that would enable African legislatures to drive implementation of the Maputo Protocol, particularly Article 9, which guarantees women’s participation in political and governance processes.
He, however, stressed that legislative reform must be accompanied by broader social change, urging traditional and religious leaders to play a greater role in challenging attitudes that discourage women from seeking political office.
“We need to bring in religious leaders. We need to bring in our traditional leaders as well to begin to get people, not just politicians, to think differently,” Oyewole said.
He also pointed to the high cost of nomination forms, campaign financing and security as significant obstacles facing women aspiring to elective office.
“We need to start thinking very differently… We need to create resources that women can tap into to enable them to get there,” he said.
Oyewole disclosed that COSPA was developing a gender-responsive legislative agenda framework and scorecard to strengthen accountability among parliamentarians and parliamentary leaders on women’s political representation.
He urged women to continue pushing despite setbacks, saying: “I would say don’t look back. Look forward. Keep pushing. Keep driving. One day, it’s our time.”
