Gender issues: Women's representation in the Lower House of Parliament

Updated June 2009

The following table supplies information on the proportion of women in the lower house of parliaments of Southern African countries. As far as is possible, every effort has been made to exclude nominated and ex officio members from the tallies.

Country	System	Year	% Seats
ANGOLA	Proportional representation	2008	37.4
		1992	9.5
BOTSWANA	Single member plurality Figures before 1989 not available	2004	11.48
		1999	18.18
		1994	9.09
		1989	5.26
DRC	Multiple Member Plurality	2006	8.4
LESOTHO	Mixed member compensatory	2007	25
		2002	11.67
	Single member plurality	1998	3.8
		1993	4.6
MADAGASCAR	Multi member plurality	2007	7.87
		2002	5.33
MALAWI	Single member plurality	2009	20.83
		2004	14.44
		1999	9.33
		1994	5.65
MAURITIUS	Multiple Member Plurality	2005	17.14
		2000	5.71
		1995	7.6
MOZAMBIQUE	Proportional representation	2004	35.60
		1999	29.20
		1994	25.20
NAMIBIA	Proportional representation	2004	26.4
		1999	25
		1994	18.1
		1989	6.9
SEYCHELLES	Mixed member parallel	2007	23.53
		2002	29.41
		1998	24
		1993	27.3
SOUTH AFRICA	Proportional representation	2009	43
		2004	32.75
		1999	30
		1994	27.75
SWAZILAND	Single member plurality	2008	18.6
		2003	16.4
		1998	3.6
		1993	3.1
TANZANIA	Mixed member parallel	2005	31.60
	Single member plurality with gender quota	2000	21.51
		1995	16.73
ZAMBIA	Single member plurality	2006	14
		2001	12.67
		1996	10.67
		1991	6.67
ZIMBABWE	Single member plurality	2008	14.29
		2005	16.67
		2000	9.33
		1995	14.67
		1990	14
		1985	8
	Proportional representation (80%) Single member plurality (20%)	1980	9