By the end of 2026,  15 countries across Africa  will have elected new parliaments . While elections are being held in conditions as diverse and complex as the continent itself, there is one Africa-wide trend: The number of women running for or holding seats in their respective national parliaments has increased significantly in the past two decades. Overall, women hold at least 20% of the seats in the national legislatures of 31 of the 54 recognized countries across Africa. The global per-