São Tomé and Príncipe: tangible gains for women in politics

The dream of many women came true on 28 July when the National Assembly of São Tomé and Príncipe approved a long debated Political Parity Law that provides for a minimum of 40% of seats in elected bodies reserved for women, as well as in the cabinet positions reserved for women. Currently, women occupy 12% of seats in the National Assembly and 20% in the Cabinet positions but thanks to a strong advocacy campaign by women Parliamentarians, civil society, women lawyers and former women politicians, this will soon change. An alliance across party lines to advance equal rights for women has been successful and is making the country join a few other countries in Africa which are on the vanguard of women’s equality.

The UN has played an instrumental role in empowering women’s groups and in forming a coalition of change agents including from Government, Parliamentarians, political parties, civil society leaders and media. The advocacy has been successful at putting into practice the strong adherence of the country to the values of gender equality and equity. 

As Resident Coordinator, I brought in expertise from our Senegal-based UN Women colleagues, in addition to the UN Development Programme and the UN’s Department of Political Affairs. I believe I have connected the UN’s expertise at global, regional and country level with the highest political level in-country for this big step towards gender equality.

It was inspiring to meet with the women leaders of the country to encourage them and to reiterate our support. Recently, in a meeting with them, I said ‘faremos o caminho caminhando’ which translates to ‘we will walk the path.’ Indeed, the approval of the Parity Law is an important step forward on the path to making gender equality a reality in practice.

2022 promises to be the year of change for women in São Tomé and Príncipe. During a recent course on women in politics — organized by the UN with the support of UNOCA and in partnership with a local university — one of the 30 women participants, a grassroots member of one of the political parties, told me: