Women’s Economics Rights and Political Advancement in Africa

• In Event: Women, Gender, and Democracy in Africa

Abstract

More women are becoming cabinet ministers in African governments, but there remains considerable cross-national variation in how they exercise authority across policy domains. We argue that this variation is the result of enduring national differences in women’s economic rights that originated in the colonial era. Where women are bound by coverture constraints — laws that subject women to men’s authority in controlling economic resources — they are less able to build the political capital needed to compete for leadership positions in clientelistic systems. Using an original dataset on the allocation of ministerial portfolios in African countries from 1991 to 2022, we show that women have less diversified cabinet portfolios and are less likely to be appointed to high-prestige portfolios where they face greater coverture constraints. We further investigate the impact of varying economic rights on the longevity and turnover women experience in cabinet positions, showing significant differences across countries. Our results speak to the lasting gendered effects that discriminatory institutions can have on the distribution of power in post-colonial societies.

Authors

• Martha C. Johnson, Northeastern University

• Melanie Lauren Phillips, University of California, Berkeley

• Leonardo R. Arriola, University of California, Berkeley