As part of my WOSSO Fellowship journey, I had the privilege of visiting the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) office In Antananarivo, Madagascar.
This was no ordinary visit—it was a moment of deep reflection, learning, and collective visioning for the future of women in leadership across our region. Present during this engagement were Mr. François Butedi Nzolani, Dimpho Deleglise, and Ialfine Papisy, who graciously facilitated the discussions.
We were also honored by the presence of the Director General in the Office of the Ministry of Population, Social Protection and Promotion of Women, whose leadership reaffirmed the importance of government-civil society partnerships in advancing gender equality.
One of the most profound aspects of the visit was engaging with the Women’s Leadership Programme. This space allowed us to learn directly from women who are not only active in politics but who are also challenging harmful practices within deeply patriarchal systems. The courage, strategies, and resilience of these women inspired me in ways I will carry forward throughout my own activism.
I was particularly moved by the story of one powerful woman who boldly challenged a political candidate in her community. She mobilized women in her area, raising collective voices against a choice they did not agree with. She went even further—strategically navigating her way into the President’s office, where she courageously complained directly to the Head of State about the candidate.
Her determination did not stop there: she mobilized traditional leaders, and together, the community was able to secure a candidate they truly believed in. Eventually, their preffered candidate was elected into office. But her victory did not come without cost—she faced intimidation, threats, and harassment, challenges all too common for women who dare to step into political spaces.
Her story culminated in the eventual arrest of the candidate, but it left a sobering reminder of the immense personal risk many women in politics endure.
These testimonies opened up powerful conversations about the systemic challenges faced by women in politics—from harassment and intimidation to political violence, including the rise of technology-facilitated gender-based violence (GBV).
It became clear that while women are entering leadership and reshaping politics, they are doing so in a climate of hostility and danger. Equally important was the recognition that violence against women is not only perpetrated by men—sometimes it is women themselves who inflict harm on other women, perpetuating toxic cycles of exclusion and hostility.
Addressing this requires honesty and courage within the feminist movement itself.
Beyond my own reflections, what made this engagement with UNDP even more powerful was the collective voice of other WOSSO Fellows who enriched the discussion on women’s political participation.
Vimbayi Nyika, a fellow from Zimbabwe, spoke about the landmark achievement of a 40% quota for women’s political participation in her country, a victory that was championed by GenderLinks, the very organization managing the WOSSO Fellowship across Africa.
Michelle, the dedicated program officer for WOSSO, further built on this by reflecting on the political realities in Zimbabwe, pointing to the violence, name-calling, and constant intimidation that women in politics endure. Khensani Mabasa, another fellow, brought a critical lens to the conversation by highlighting how woman-on-woman violence is not limited to politics, but often spills into business, civil society, and other spaces where women should be working in solidarity.
Adding yet another vital dimension, our comrade Tinoza reminded us that Madagascar is ranked fourth globally among countries most affected by climate change, and posed the important question of how climate disasters and environmental insecurity also shape and limit women’s political participation
As we move towards the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence and with a powerful proposal for a collaboration on a campain focusing on women's participation in politics, I left the UNDP engagement reflecting deeply on how we can mobilize one another as women across the region.
How do we reimagine politics? How do we dismantle patriarchal and toxic systems that keep women unsafe in political spaces? And most importantly, how do we ensure that the next generation of women leaders inherit a political culture that does not punish them for being bold, vocal, and unapologetically feminist?
The WOSSO Fellowship has reminded me that solidarity among women is not just an option—it is our greatest weapon.
If we are to truly reshape the face of politics, we must stand together, challenge toxic practices (even within feminism itself), and build safer, more inclusive spaces for women in leadership.
