The Entrenchment of Women within African Politics: A Case of Senegal, South Africa, and Rwanda

In some regions, the role of women is still relegated to the kitchen and raising children. The notion of a career woman still needs to be entirely accepted and embraced. However, the rapid interconnectedness of the global world has opened numerous opportunities for women, especially within the political sphere. With this continuing trend of women empowerment, is the era of women marginalization over? Can we say the tide has turned, where women are now recognized as political leaders? Can we confidently conclude that those women now play a constructive role in community development and consolidate democracy, law, and legislation through political involvement? To engage these questions, the article undertakes a literature examination. It compares how women empowerment initiatives in Rwanda, South Africa, and Senegal concerning political inclusion have resulted in more and more women participating in politics. As a point of departure, the article argues that there has been a considerable increase in the percentage of women participating in African politics. However, there are still challenges in terms of gender equality within society at large. The findings from this paper were analyzed using thematic content analysis to answer these fundamental questions underpinning the paper.