WALPE Zimbabwe is proud of WALPE Africa for successfully hosting the inaugural High-Level Conference on Gender and Elections in Africa (COGE), held from 28–31 October 2026 in Johannesburg, South Africa.

This historic milestone brought together over 100 delegates from across the African continent, including women political leaders, policymakers, parliamentarians, electoral experts, feminist movements, civil society organisations and development partners, united by a shared commitment to advancing women’s leadership and meaningful participation in electoral and democratic processes.

Held under the theme #TryWomen: Amplifying Women’s Leadership in African Elections, the conference provided a critical platform for confronting the structural, institutional, financial and social barriers that continue to limit women’s participation in politics and electoral leadership.

Through thought-provoking panel discussions and intergenerational exchanges, delegates interrogated issues including gendered political financing, discriminatory party processes, electoral reforms, women’s representation, technology-facilitated gender-based violence, online disinformation and the safety of women candidates and voters.

The conference also marked significant milestones with the launch of the Gender and Elections Watch Africa (GEWA) platform, a resource for strengthening accountability and monitoring gender inclusion in electoral processes, as well as the Transformative Women Leaders Solidarity Fund, an expression of collective commitment to supporting women in political leadership.

Beyond the conversations, #COGE2026 generated a strong collective call for action in dismantling discriminatory structures, strengthening electoral and political party reforms, expanding equitable access to campaign financing, investing in young women’s leadership and building stronger regional solidarity among women in politics.

Democracy cannot be considered truly representative when women continue to face disproportionate barriers to contesting, participating and leading.

Women’s political participation must move beyond commitments on paper to tangible action, institutional accountability and measurable change.

As WALPE Zimbabwe, we celebrate this continental milestone and reaffirm our commitment to advancing feminist leadership, gender-responsive governance and inclusive democratic processes.

The future of African democracy must reflect the leadership, voices and aspirations of women. It is indeed time to #TryWomen.