Abstract: This book is motivated by a growing sense of dissonance between the continued emphasis on women’s political participation within gender and global politics, and the contemporary political moment in which feminism, equality agendas, and democratic participation are increasingly contested. While women have become more visible within political leadership globally—including within right-wing movements and authoritarian regimes—this visibility has not translated into broader commitments to gender justice, democratic accountability, or social equality. In what is often described as a post-feminist or anti-DEI climate, women’s rights and political participation are once again openly challenged, instrumentalised, or rolled back. This context raises a fundamental question that underpins the book: why does it still matter to study women’s political participation, and what kind of participation matters?

Since the early 2000s, Rwanda has been praised for its progress and the high number of women in its Parliament—61% in 2018, the highest in the world. However, President Paul Kagame has been in power since 2003, and in 2024, he won his fourth term with 99.15% of the vote. Critics argue that his government, led by the Rwandan Patriotic Front, is an authoritarian regime that silences political opposition.
Dr Xianan Jin explores this paradox: how Rwanda can promote gender equality in politics while maintaining oppressive state control. She argues that Rwanda has successfully passed laws to increase the number of women in politics, but this has happened under a system she calls "neoliberal authoritarianism." In this system, gender reforms are seen through a business-like approach, focusing on improving governance to boost the economy and support state development. However, these law reforms treat women as if they all share the same experiences and overlook how gender intersects with other identities, like social class. Rwanda’s approach reflects similar patterns seen in other authoritarian developmental states where strong governments drive development, as noted by African scholar Thandika Mkandawire (2001). It also shows how Rwanda has dealt with globalization in a way that doesn’t fit neatly into the usual categories of countries that either resist or fully embrace global economic changes.

Dr Jin examines how Rwanda’s focus on increasing women’s representation in politics connects to its tight government control and suppression of protests rooted in everyday struggles for economic and social justice. She offers a nuanced view whether having more women in politics also leads to greater gender justice and stronger democracy, or if it’s just about increasing numbers.

Bio: Dr Xianan Jin is a feminist researcher in Politics at the University of Exeter (Cornwall), where she teaches African Politics x Gender Theory. Before joining Exeter, she studied politics and practised feminism in Beijing, Bologna, London, and Kigali, experiences that continue to shape her transnational and intersectional approach to political participation.