A Systematic Review of Women's Political Participation in South Sudan: An African Perspective, 2021–2026

This systematic literature review synthesises scholarly work from 2021 to 2026 to critically examine the state of women's political participation in post-independence South Sudan. It addresses the problem of persistently constrained engagement in formal and informal political processes within protracted conflict and fragile state-building. Employing the PRISMA framework, the methodology entailed a rigorous search, screening, and quality assessment of peer-reviewed articles, policy reports, and African scholarly outputs. The analysis reveals that, despite constitutional quotas and women's instrumental role in peace advocacy, substantive participation remains limited by entrenched patriarchal norms, economic dependencies, and political violence. Key findings demonstrate a critical gap between *de jure* provisions and *de facto* implementation, with women often marginalised within political parties and legislative bodies. The review contends that effective participation requires moving beyond tokenistic representation to address systemic barriers rooted in socio-cultural and economic structures. Its significance lies in foregrounding African scholarly analyses to inform context-specific strategies, thereby contributing to discourses on post-conflict governance within African women's studies. The implications suggest that sustainable progress necessitates holistic interventions which integrate legal reforms with community-level normative change and robust support for women's political agency.