This book is a much-needed antidote to the national level focus of most stud- ies of democratisation and development. Drawing on a rich empirical base, it looks at the sites of everyday politics, showing how they are gendered. The chapters explore a wide range of spaces, ranging from the fast-growing ‘Lion Economies’ in Africa to decentralisation practices, NGOs, the media, com- munity associations and traditional authorities. This timely book uncovers new opportunities, challenges and lessons for women’s empowerment. Professor Aili Mari Tripp, Wangari Maathai Professor of Political Science & Gender and Women’s Studies, Co-Editor, American Political Science Review, Department of Political Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA This book transcends the WID/GAD development literature to incorporate different bodies of theory, such as post-structuralism and discourse theory. It connects theoretical premises with varied empirical research in Africa, weav- ing a rich tapestry of insights and novel understandings. It deftly navigates different aspects of gender politics such as substantive representation, infor- mal networks, protest and institutional politics, looking to Asia for solutions. I look forward to using it with my students. Professor Amanda Gouws, SARChI Chair in Gender Politics, Department of Political Science, Stellenbosch University, South Africa Engendering Democracy in Africa This book investigates women’s political participation in Africa. Going be- yond the formal institutions of electoral politics, it explores a range of spaces where everyday politics take place, at national and at local levels. In recent years there have been significant improvements in the number of women elected to parliament in Africa. However, there is little indication that this is translating into better developmental outcomes, and indeed there is mounting evidence that it could in fact help to bolster some authoritarian regimes. Starting from the premise that politics is a far broader project than securing a seat in national or local legislatures alone, this book explores the opportunities for women’s political participation across a number of informal spaces where women and men gather, organise and interact in a more regular and systematic manner. Combining insights from political science, sociology and feminist theory, and drawing on detailed cases from the Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria and Rwanda, it examines how power in its multiple dimen- sions circulates across a range of everyday political spaces, while drawing attention to the links between domestic gender inequalities and the global political economy. Inviting scholars, practitioners and activists to broaden their focus be- yond formal electoral institutions if they want to support women to become more politically active, this book provides fresh insights into major issues at the heart of African studies, development studies, gender and development, democratisation and international relations. Niamh Gaynor is an Associate Professor in International Development, Dublin City University, Ireland. Routledge Studies in African Development Mineral Resource Governance and Human Development in Ghana Felix Danso Alternatives to Neoliberal Peace-Building and State-Building in  Africa Redie Bereketeab Public Policy Lessons from the AIDS Response in Africa Fred Eboko Industrial Policy and the Transformation of the Colonial Economy in Africa The Zambian Experience Horman Chitonge Responding to Mass Atrocities in Africa Protection First and Justice Later Raymond Kwun-Sun Lau Politics in The Gambia and Guinea-Bissau Precolonial Influence on the Postcolonial State Mariama Khan Engendering Democracy in Africa Women, Politics and Development Niamh Gaynor For more information about this series, please visit: www.routledge.com/ Routledge-Studies-in-African-Development/book-series/RSAD Engendering Democracy in  Africa Women, Politics and Development Niamh Gaynor First published 2022 by Routledge 4 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN and by Routledge 605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158 Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2022 Niamh Gaynor The right of Niamh Gaynor to be identified as author of this work has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Gaynor, Niamh, 1970- author. Title: Engendering democracy in Africa : women, politics and development / Niamh Gaynor. Description: Abingdon, Oxon ; New York, NY : Routledge, 2022. | Series: Routledge studies in African development | Includes bibliographical references and index. Identifiers: LCCN 2021060002 (print) | LCCN 2021060003 (ebook) Subjects: LCSH: Women—Political activity—Africa. | Women and democracy—Africa. Classification: LCC HQ1236.5.A35 G38 2022 (print) | LCC HQ1236.5.A35 (ebook) | DDC 320.082/096—dc23/eng/20220216 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021060002 LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021060003 ISBN: 978-0-367-70762-0 (hbk) ISBN: 978-0-367-70767-5 (pbk) ISBN: 978-1-003-14787-9 (ebk) DOI: 10.4324/9781003147879 Typeset in Bembo by codeMantra Contents List of illustrations ix Acknowledgements xi 1 Engendering democracy in Africa: beyond numbers 1 2 Why engender democracy: gendered inequalities in development 17 3 How to engender democracy: the 4W framework 50 4 Looking East: Africa’s Lion economies and national development planning 71 5 Seizing and transforming local spaces: the politics of decentralisation 99 6 NGOs, the media and the public sphere: evolving arenas for political participation 123 7 Community associations, adaptive chieftaincies and the public sphere: local politics of capture, compliance and contestation 150 8 Conclusion: lessons, tensions and reasons for hope 175 Index 185 Illustrations Figure 3.1 The 4W framework of political participation 67 Tables 2.1 Some popular composite gender equality indicators 21 2.2 Gender inequality scores for selected countries 22 2.3 Top five and bottom five scoring countries per indicator 23