In Sierra Leone, the level rose from 10 percent in 2012 to 16percent in 2013 (IPU, 2015; UN Women, 2015). More women than men vote in Botswana, Cabo Verde, Lesotho, South Africa and Senegal, although overall rates for men seem to be about 5 per cent higher in all countries surveyed by Afrobarometer (Tripp, 2013). The increased presence of women in politics is contributing towards addressing deeply historical inequalities in the political systems of the Continent. Women's political participation and representation in governance have long been taken as key indicators of the general level of democracy in a country.