ABSTRACT
Africa has some of the highest rates of female political representation in the world today. In 2003 Rwanda became the country with the highest number of women parliamentarians, surpassing the Nordic countries when women claimed close to 49 per cent of the parliamentary seats. Women in South Africa and Mozambique hold over one-third of parliamentary seats, while women in Namibia claim 42 per cent of seats in local government and women in Uganda one-third. One of the main factors accounting for this increase in female legislative representation has to do with the expanded use of various forms of quotas. No longer is the one-third goal considered sufficient in many parts of Africa. Today active '50/50' movements are pushing for one-half parliamentary seats of women and men in countries as diverse as South Africa, Namibia, Sierra Leone, Kenya, Uganda and Senegal.
