The Persistence of Female Political Power in  Africa

joint with Sophia Du Plessis, Sahar Parsa and James Robinson 

Abstract: Research on female political representation has tended to overlook the traditional role of women as leaders across many societies. Our study aims to address this gap by investigating the enduring influence of historical female leadership on contemporary formal political representation in Africa. We test for this persistence by compiling two original datasets: one detailing female leadership in pre-colonial societies and another on current female representation in local elections. Our findings indicate that ethnic groups historically allowing women in leadership roles do tend to have a higher proportion of elected female representatives in today's formal local political institutions. We also observe that institutional factors, rather than economic ones, significantly shape traditional female political influence. Moreover, in accord with historical accounts, we uncover some evidence of a reversal of female political power due to institutional changes enforced by the colonists.