Why does West Africa have so few women in politics?

Published: Oct. 12, 2022, 1 a.m.

During the last election, 44 % of seats in Senegal\u2019s parliament were occupied by women, making it the parliament with the largest percentage of women in West Africa.\n \nAmongst the countries with the lowest number of women represented- under 15%- are The Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Benin and Sierra Leone. And according to the Inter-Parliamentary Union, Nigeria, has just 13 women amongst 360 members of its House of Representatives.\n \nSo what\u2019s stopping more women in West Africa from getting involved in politics? To understand the challenges, Alan Kasujja spoke to three women from Nigeria, Ghana and Liberia about their political careers.