Navigating Transition: An Analysis of Women's Political Agency in South Sudan, 2021-2026

This conference paper analyses the evolving political agency of women in South Sudan from 2021–2026, a period spanning the Revitalised Transitional Government of National Unity and the anticipated post-independence elections. It examines the central problem of how women navigate political influence within a fragile, patriarchal state, despite constitutional and peace accord guarantees. Employing a rigorous qualitative methodology, the research conducts a thematic analysis of policy documents, political speeches, and implementation reports, triangulated with original data from semi-structured interviews undertaken in Juba in 2024 with women politicians, civil society leaders, and activists. The findings reveal a dual reality: formal representation quotas have created a visible class of women in government, yet their substantive agency is constrained by entrenched patronage, security threats, and socio-cultural norms. Crucially, the study demonstrates how women have cultivated significant informal political capital through cross-ethnic civil society coalitions and strategic engagement with international partners, utilising these networks to advocate for gender-sensitive legislation and community security. The paper concludes that assessing South Sudanese women's political participation necessitates moving beyond a tally of seats to analyse their adaptive and resilient strategies within a constrained transition. This analysis contributes to African feminist political studies by elucidating the complex negotiation between formal structures and informal agency in post-conflict statebuilding.