Gender Quotas Database
South Sudan
Northern Africa
Single / Lower House
Al-Majlis Al-Tachirii / Transitional National Legislative Assembly
| Total seats | 550 |
| Total women | 178 |
| Percentage of women | 32% |
| Election year | 2010 |
| Electoral system | In transition |
| Quota type | Legislated Candidate Quotas |
| Election details | IDEA Voter Turnout - IPU Parline |
| Legal source | Details | |
|---|---|---|
| Quota type: Legislated Candidate Quotas | Constitution |
The new Constitution of South Sudan states that ‘All levels of government shall: promote women’s participation in public life and their representation in the legislative and executive organs by at least 25% as an affirmative action to redress imbalances created by history, customs, and traditions’. (Constitution of South Sudan, 2011, Article 16 (4:a)). |
| Electoral law |
2) The National Legislative Assembly shall be composed of members elected as follows: … (b) Thirty-five percent (35%) of women members shall be elected on the basis of proportional representation at the national level from closed party lists; (Article 60 (2), National Elections Act of South Sudan). |
Upper House
Al-Watani / Council of States
| Total seats | 84 |
| Total women | 27 |
| Percentage of women | 32% |
| Election year | 2021 |
| Electoral system | Indirectly elected and appointed |
| Quota type | Legislated Candidate Quotas |
| Election details | IPU Parline |
| Legal source | Details | |
|---|---|---|
| Quota type: Legislated Candidate Quotas | Constitution |
The Constitution of South Sudan states that ‘all levels of government shall: promote women’s participation in public life and their representation in the legislative and executive organs by at least twenty-five per cent as an affirmative action to redress imbalances created by history, customs, and traditions’. (Article 16 (4:a)) |
| Electoral law |
Without prejudice to the previsions of Sections 60(2) (a) and 61, the method of electing fifty percent (50%) of the members of the national and state legislative assemblies by proportional representation shall be as follows: … (b) a voter shall cast one vote for one Women List of their choice from those listed on the Women List ballot that contains thirty-five percent (35%) of the total seats of the legislative assembly concerned; (Article 63 (b), National Elections Act of South Sudan, 2012) |
Quota at the Sub-National Level
| Quota type | Legislated Candidate Quotas |
| Legal source | Details | |
|---|---|---|
| Quota type: Legislated Candidate Quotas | Constitution |
The Constitution of South Sudan states that ‘the territory of South Sudan is composed of ten states governed on the basis of decentralization. There shall be legislative and executive organs at each state level. In fulfilment of the principle of affirmative action, women shall be allocated at least twenty-five per cent of the seats and positions in each legislative and each executive organ of each state, without prejudice to their right to compete for the remaining seats and positions in such organs’ (Articles 162, 163). |
| Electoral law |
The total number of members of the States Assemblies for the whole country shall be four hundred (400) men and women to be apportioned to states by the Commission in accordance with the population size of each state: … (b) Thirty-five percent (35%) of women members shall be elected on the basis of proportional representation at the national level from closed party lists; (Article 61, National Elections Act of South Sudan) |
Voluntary Political Party Quotas*
| Party | Official Name | Details, Quota provisions |
|---|---|---|
| No data available. | ||
* Only political parties represented in parliament are included. When a country has legislated quotas in place, only political parties that have voluntary quotas that exceed the percentage/number of the national quota legislation are presented in this table.
Additional information
Following the independence of South Sudan in 2011, the new Constitution and the Electoral Law were adopted in 2011 and 2012 respectively. South Sudan’s first general elections are expected to be held in 2015, and the gender quota provisions described above will be implemented in these elections for the first time.
"Elections due in 2015 were postponed as a result of the civil war. A peace agreement reached that year extended Kiir’s mandate until April 2018. In July 2018, the parliament voted to further extend Kiir’s term to 2021, along with the mandates of his vice presidents, state legislators, and governors. The Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS), signed that September, initiated an eight-month interim period after which a Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity (RTGoNU) headed by Kiir would be formed and serve a three-year term (FreedomHouse.org)".
Sources
LEGAL SOURCES:
- Transitional Constitution of South Sudan (amended through 2015) - Link
- Elections Act (amended through 2023) - Link
- Political Parties Law (amended through 2022) - Link
OTHER SOURCES:
- FreedomHouse.org South Sudan
- Inter-Parliamentary Union, IPU Parline South Sudan
Additional reading
- See the latest updates on South Sudan on iKNOW Politics
- Arnold, M. & LeRiche, M. (2021). South Sudan: From Revolution to Independence. Oxford University Press.
- Bubenzer, F. & Lacey, E. (2013). Opportunities for gender justice and reconciliation in South Sudan. Institute for Justice and Reconciliation, Policy Brief.
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