SHARECountry Data
South Sudan (Republic of South Sudan) has a Bicameral parliament with legislated quotas for the single/lower house and at the sub-national level. 178 of 550 (32%) seats in the Al-Majlis Al-Tachirii / Transitional National Legislative Assembly are held by women.
At a glance
Structure of Parliament: Bicameral
Are there legislated quotas...
- For the Single/Lower House? Yes
- For the Upper House? No
- For the Sub-National Level? Yes
Are there voluntary quotas...
- Adopted by political parties? No
Is there additional information?...
- Yes
Last updated: Jan 23, 2023
Single/Lower House
Al-Majlis Al-Tachirii / Transitional National Legislative Assembly
| Total seats | 550 |
| Total Women | 178 |
| % Women | 32% |
| Election Year | 2021 |
| 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 | The current National Legislative Assembly is composed of all the members of the former Southern Sudan Legislative Assembly (SSLA), former members of the National Legislative Assembly of the Republic of Sudan elected from constituencies in Southern Sudan, and members appointed under Article 94 (2:b) of the Transitional Constitution of South Sudan. The new electoral law adopted in 2012, which will be implemented in the 2015 legislative elections, states that ‘the National Legislative Assembly of South Sudan is composed of the members elected as follows: sixty per cent of members shall be elected to represent geographical constituencies in the Republic of South Sudan; twenty-five per cent representing women members shall be elected on the basis of proportional representation at the national level from closed party lists and fifteen per cent shall be elected through proportional representation at the national level from closed party lists’ (Article 60 (2), National Elections Act of South Sudan, 2012). |
|
| Legal sanctions for non-compliance | N/A | Not applicable |
| Rank order/placement rules | N/A | Not applicable |
| Is the provision of direct public funding to political parties related to gender equality among candidates? | No data available | |
| Are there provisions for other financial advantages to encourage gender equality in political parties? | No data available |
Quota at the Sub-National Level
- Quota type: Reserved seats
| Legal source | Details | |
|---|---|---|
| Quota type: Reserved seats | Constitution | The new 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: Sixty per cent (60%) of the members shall be elected to represent geographical constituencies at the level of the state concerned; twenty-five per cent (25%) of women members shall be elected on the basis of proportional representation at the state level from closed women lists; and fifteen per cent (15%) of the members shall be elected on the basis of proportional representation at the state level from closed party lists.’ (Article 61, National Elections Act of South Sudan, 2012) |
|
| Legal sanctions for non-compliance | N/A | Not applicable |
| Rank order/placement rules | N/A | Not applicable |
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 the Republic of South Sudan 2011, accessed 24 April 2018;
- National Elections Act, no. 39 of 2012, accessed 24 April 2018;
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.