This systematic literature review critically examines the scholarly discourse on women's political participation in South Sudan from 2021 onwards, employing an African feminist lens. It addresses the persistent marginalisation of women in formal political structures despite constitutional quotas, interrogating how recent literature frames their agency, constraints, and strategies within the unique post-conflict context. Adhering to the PRISMA framework, the methodology involves the systematic identification and thematic analysis of peer-reviewed articles, policy reports, and monographs. Key findings reveal a nascent but evolving body of work that increasingly centres African feminist epistemologies. The literature delineates how women navigate intersecting patriarchal, cultural, and institutional barriers, while foregrounding their roles as peacebuilders and grassroots mobilisers beyond formal institutions. A salient critique within the scholarship targets imported gender frameworks, with scholars advocating for analyses rooted in local gendered experiences and indigenous knowledge systems. The review concludes that while progress is documented, substantial empirical and theoretical gaps persist, particularly regarding the practical implementation of the 35% affirmative action quota and the political participation of women from diverse regional and socio-economic backgrounds. This synthesis underscores the imperative for context-specific, African-centred research to inform policies that genuinely transform gendered power dynamics in South Sudan's political landscape.
Malek et al. (Sat,) studied this question.