At an international level, decentralization is now an integral part of the formulas for good governance promoted by institutions like the World Bank and the United Nations. This is based on the idea that decentralization will promote participative democracy, introduce a service delivery system better attuned to local needs, advance citizens' rights and promote gender equality. Yet experience is beginning to show the limitations of decentralization. Social transformation does not necessarily result, and in some cases the local administration's increased autonomy has resulted in some social setbacks. Against the backdrop of the debate on the impact of decentralization on women, we raise the question here as to whether or not decentralized planning processes have really paved the way for increasing participation by women in municipal governance in Africa, and whether they are conducive to balancing gender relations.