As South Africa approaches the 2026 local elections, where women consistently make up the majority of registered voters, gender activists warn that coalition politics could jeopardise decades of progress in women's political representation, highlighting the urgent need for stronger commitments to gender equality.
As South Africa prepares for the 2026 local government elections, gender activists and election experts are warning that hard-won gains in women's political representation are under growing threat.
While women remain the majority of registered voters, their share of political power is declining, raising concerns that coalition politics, violence, and weak enforcement of gender commitments could reverse decades of democratic progress.
The warning follows a presentation of the Commission for Gender Equality (CGE) report on the 2021 local government elections on Wednesday, which found that women's representation in municipal councils dropped from 41% in 2016 to 37% in 2021, the first significant decline in more than a decade.
Presenting the findings, CGE researcher Lieketseng Mohlakoana-Motopi described the drop as a worrying reversal.
