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When women enter the highest levels of political leadership, are they genuinely being given space to lead, or are they simply being included within systems that were never designed for them to succeed?
In her compelling contribution to Women in Geopolitics, Lulu White challenges us to look beyond the numbers of women occupying positions of power and examine the political architecture surrounding their leadership.
Drawing from the central argument of her forthcoming book, The Illusion of Inclusion, she questions whether the growing visibility of women in leadership represents genuine transformation, or whether women are still being admitted into structures where power, political networks and the rules of leadership remain deeply shaped by patriarchy.
Her argument goes further.
Women leaders, she observes, often carry a burden rarely imposed on their male counterparts. When a male leader fails, his individual leadership or government is questioned. When a woman fails, the ability of women as a whole to lead can be put on trial.
Across Africa, women who reach high political office may also inherit institutions in crisis, entrenched patronage networks and deeply resistant political systems. Their leadership is then scrutinised through a gendered lens: strength can be interpreted as overreach, caution as weakness, and ordinary human imperfections can become evidence against women’s leadership itself.
For Lulu, the answer is not simply to place more women into existing structures.
Africa must create political systems in which women can exercise genuine authority. This requires political party reform, stronger political education for women, greater media accountability and Pan-African solidarity networks capable of mentoring and sustaining women in leadership.
At the heart of her contribution is a powerful proposition:
“Leadership has no gender, only patriarchy does.”
Moving from representation to transformation therefore requires us to confront the structures that determine who receives power, who exercises it and by what standards leaders are judged.
Women should not have to enter leadership carrying the responsibility of proving that every other woman is capable of leading.
As Lulu reminds us, Africa must move beyond symbolism and towards genuine participation, shared power and leadership systems in which women can lead without apology.
Women in Geopolitics, Amplifying the Voices Shaping Africa’s Future.
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About Women in Geopolitics
The Women in Geopolitics Debate Series is a high-level thought-leadership platform dedicated to amplifying African voices, particularly women’s voices, in conversations on geopolitics, global affairs, governance, leadership and development.
Through dialogue with women leaders, diplomats, policymakers, business leaders, academics and experts from across Africa and beyond, the programme is building a growing archive of African women’s perspectives on the issues shaping our continent and our world.
We invite you to visit the Women in Geopolitics Knowledge Hub on YouTube, explore previous conversations and subscribe as we unveil a new voice every day throughout August:
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About the author
Madelein Mkunu is the President of Leading Women of Africa (LWA), a Pan-African social enterprise promoting women's leadership in economic development, and the founder of Beyond Boundaries, a global content and advocacy platform amplifying African women’s voices in policy, peacebuilding, and development. A bilingual English–French strategist and accomplished public speaker, she brings over 20 years of experience in gender mainstreaming, inclusive governance, and stakeholder engagement across Africa and globally. She holds an MBA and a Master’s in Management from IEDC-Bled School of Management (Slovenia), a Postgraduate Degree in Development Studies from the University of the Western Cape (South Africa), a Certificate in Leadership from the Dale Carnegie Institute, and is an alumna of Michigan State University’s Women Empowerment Programme. With a background in accounting and a passion for transformative change, Madelein is a trusted advisor to institutions seeking Africa-rooted development solutions.
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