Political Parties in Africa: Challenges for Sustained Multiparty

Political Parties in Africa: Challenges for Sustained Multiparty Democracy
chapters, we will here summarize three different aspects which mark the individuality
of each contribution and its relevance to the subject of this report.
In another source, Aili Mari Tripp offers a useful classification of how quotas are
enacted as part of national constitutions, mandated by legislation or party-mandated
(and voluntary). Table 5.2 shows seven African countries which have constitutionallymandated
quota for women. With the exception of Eritrea, all have done better than
what is constitutionally mandated. Table 5.3 shows that two countries (Niger and
Swaziland) have failed to meet the quotas which are legally mandated.
Table 5.2: Constitutionally-enacted quotas for women in African
countries
Country Percentage
of women in
legislature
Constitutional
provision of quota
for women
Djibouti 10.8 10% of all party
seats allocated for
women
Eritrea 22.0 Reserved seats
for women;
unicameral
Kenya 7.1 Executive
appointment;
unicameral
Morocco 10.8 Women-only
national list
Rwanda 48.8 Reserved seats
for women in
upper and lower
house
Electoral college
of women’s
councils
Tanzania 22.3 Special seats;
unicameral
Uganda 24.7 Reserved seats;
unicameral
Quota Year quota
introduced
10% 2002
30% 1995
3% 1997
10% 2002
30%
20%
2003
20% 2000
18.4% 1989
Source: Tripp, Aili Mari, ‘Legislative Quotas for Women’, in Mohamed Salih (ed.), African Parliaments
Between Government and Governance (New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2005), p. 50.