Simone Gbagbo, once known mainly as the fiery partner of former Ivorian president Laurent Gbagbo, is now carving her own path to power. At 75, the former first lady has been cleared by the Constitutional Council to contest Côte d’Ivoire’s October 2025 presidential election, becoming one of just two women on the ballot in a race historically dominated by men.
Leading her party, the Movement of Capable Generations (MGC), Gbagbo announced her bid at a coalition rally in Abidjan on May 31. Her candidacy carries weight not just for her party but for women across a country where only 13.4% of lawmakers are female. For many, her run represents both political clout and symbolic progress in breaking long-standing gender barriers.
Analysts see her move as part of a larger continental shift. “Two forces are at play,” Kenyan analyst Kennedy Odweyo told Reuters. “First, the rise of individual women with strong credentials. Second, the growing institutional push for gender parity.” Similar momentum is visible across Africa—Malawi’s Joyce Banda is returning to the stage, seven women are vying for Cameroon’s presidency, and Tanzania’s Samia Suluhu Hassan faces her first major electoral test as president.
Still, symbolism often collides with reality. Odweyo warns that women remain underrepresented at the executive level despite their growing visibility. Former first ladies like Gbagbo and Banda highlight the unique pathways women sometimes take to power, though their legacies—whether tied to past controversies or mixed performances—remain under scrutiny.
For Hassan in Tanzania, the battle is about legitimacy, as she seeks a clear mandate in a climate where opposition has been stifled. Across the board, female candidates face familiar hurdles: limited funding, party gatekeeping, and media bias that often frames them through personality or family ties rather than competence.
Even so, the 2025 elections may prove historic. Whether or not Gbagbo or her peers win, their presence signals a political landscape gradually shifting, one where young voters and decades of gender advocacy are making it harder to ignore women as serious contenders for Africa’s top jobs.
