Abstract

Electoral process is an aspect of democratic system that advocates free and fair election devoid of arbitral limitation of any sort including gender discrimination in politics. The sensitization drive aims at promoting the equal and fair gender representation in the decision-making processes across African states for societal development. The paper reviews the electoral process at various levels of political practices to sensitize African states, and emphasized the necessary mechanisms required for achieving gender equality in political affairs in the continent. This paper provides a useful tool for electoral progress as a motivation for creating gender sensitive electoral and political processes. Notably, the paper found that the status quo in most African state is under-representation of women in the political space across the board. The sensitization drive is an insight to formally recognize the existing gender disparities in the power equation of African states. This serves the basis for introducing measures towards realization of the 35% affirmative actions for women active political participation. The scenery will remain so unless we enact laws that encourage and guarantee greater women participation. Furthermore, most African states largely practices gender stereotyping that are socially backed by religion and culture; in which men fold enjoys greater advantages against women. Moreover, African women do not have the financial resources to withstands their male dominated political and  electoral process. It is imperative to advocate civic education to sensitize the citizenry on the need to undo women stereotyping and to take gender equality as a democratic value for societal advancement and electoral development. Thus, this paper will serve as cardinal tool for the policymakers, political parties, electoral bodies, election observers, civil activists, students and researchers who are primarily concern with free, fair and credible electoral process; to embrace women active participation and gender balance political space.

Keywords: Gender equality, Political process, Women representation, Electoral sensitizations, African States