Women's Political Representation in African Rebel Parties

Across Africa, women's political representation is twice as high in postconflict states as it is in non-conflict-afflicted states. Scholars have attributed gains to changing gender norms, international pressure, and local women's movements. However, these factors do not explain variance in women's representation across political parties. This article asks how the conflict legacies of political parties influence these trends, by analyzing patterns of women's political representation in rebel groups that transition into political parties. The article argues that these parties have unique incentives to promote women's representation. Novel data on women's candidacy and electoral success at the party level in postconflict Africa from 1970 to 2020 are presented. Findings suggest that rebel parties run and elect significantly more women than other political parties. These results are consistent across contexts, including varying conflict outcomes. These findings are relevant to understanding women's postconflict political representation and the role of women in rebel parties.