A Systematic Review of Women's Political Participation in South Sudan: An African Perspective, 2021–2026

This systematic literature review critically examines the scholarly discourse on women’s political participation in South Sudan from an African perspective, covering the period 2011 to 2023. It addresses the research problem of understanding the constrained avenues for women’s engagement in formal and informal political processes during the post-independence and post-revitalised peace agreement phases. Employing the PRISMA framework, the methodology involved a rigorous search of four academic databases using predefined strings, with clear inclusion and exclusion criteria to ensure replicability. The resultant literature was analysed using thematic synthesis. The analysis reveals that while the 35% affirmative action quota remains a focal point, scholarship consistently highlights profound implementation gaps and systemic barriers, including patriarchal norms, economic disempowerment, and political violence. Key findings indicate a significant academic focus on women’s roles in local peacebuilding and their navigation of hybrid governance, though their agency is often circumscribed by entrenched clientelist networks. The review argues that centring African feminist epistemologies is crucial for moving beyond quota-centric analyses to understand the nuanced realities of South Sudanese women’s political struggles. This synthesis provides a consolidated evidence base for policymakers, advocating for interventions that address structural inequalities to foster substantive political inclusion.