#4 DECEMBER 2016 Political Representation makes Women’s Voices heard? Lessons from South Africa Lisa Vetten Women comprise half the population and so ought to make up half of all structures responsible for taking decisions on behalf of societies. That sounds like a logical principle of justice. When women(or any other social group) are left out, this not only suggests discrimination, but also potentially delegitimises decisions because the particular preferences and circumstances of those excluded have not been considered. Ergo, a greater number of women in decision-making processes should result in better policy outcomes more reflective of women’s concerns. But is it as easy as this? The plea for political representation of women has exercised increasing influence over the global gender equality and women’s empowerment agenda. One of the 13 strategic objectives identified by the 1995 Beijing Platform of Action was the development of measures to ensure women’s equal access to, and full participation in, power structures and decision-making. The Millennium Development Goals(MDG) adopted in 2000 elevated an increase in the proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments to one of only three targets of“Goal 3- promote gender equality and empower women”. When the MDGs were replaced in 2015, goal 5 of the Sustainable Development Goals continued this emphasis:“Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic, and public life(5.5.).” Increasing number of women in parliaments States have been responsive to these calls and between 1995 and 2015 women’s average membership of national parliaments nearly doubled, from 11.3%, to 22.1%(Inter-Parliamentary Union, 2015). Progress in sub-Saharan Africa has been even more dramatic, with women’s representation growing from 9.8% to 22.3% in the same period. By 2015, 12 countries in the region had elected 30% or more women to their single or lower houses of parliament. At 63.8%, Rwanda led not only 1