Women’s Political Empowerment and Political Instability in Sub-Saharan African Countries[Autonomisation politique des femmes et instabilité politique dans les pays d’Afrique subsaharienne]

Despite the widespread recognition of political instability as a major constraint to economic development in sub-Saharan Africa, our understanding of the key factors influencing these countries' ability to achieve a more stable political environment remains limited. Drawing on a sample of thirty-four sub-Saharan African countries, this study provides robust evidence of the importance of women's political empowerment in reducing political instability. This finding is supported by accounting for potential biases, including reverse causality, the effect of observed or unobserved confounders on this relationship, and measurement errors. In-depth analyses reveal that reductions in military expenditures and improvements in democratic governance serve as key mechanisms through which women's political empowerment influences political instability. These findings strengthen the case for policies promoting women's political empowerment as a means of fostering political stability in sub-Saharan Africa.