This perspective piece critically examines the persistent barriers to and evolving strategies for women’s substantive political participation in South Sudan between 2021 and 2026. It argues that, despite constitutional guarantees and a revitalised peace agreement mandating a 35% affirmative action quota, women’s engagement remains largely symbolic. This is constrained by entrenched patriarchal norms, economic disenfranchisement, and escalating gender-based violence. Methodologically, the analysis employs a rigorous qualitative desk-based review, synthesising evidence from recent reports by South Sudanese civil society, African Union monitoring bodies, and academic literature grounded in African feminist political thought. The central contention is that the period reveals a critical paradox: a nominal increase in women’s numerical representation within some government structures coincided with a marked narrowing of civic space and targeted online harassment against women leaders, particularly after the 2024 elections. Foregrounding African feminist analyses that prioritise collective action and indigenous peacebuilding epistemologies, the analysis concludes that meaningful participation necessitates moving beyond quota fulfilment to fundamentally address the socio-economic and security foundations of exclusion. The implications underscore that without transformative approaches to power and security, legal frameworks alone cannot dismantle the gendered architecture of politics in post-conflict states.