Political and elective heredity in Cameroon: The logics shaping female leaders’ access to political careers

Women’s political engagement has never been so debated. Between sociocultural conservatism and feminist movements, women’s entry into politics is far from straightforward. Women’s political careers seem to follow a very specific framework or logic of transmission. Their access to the local public arena adheres to social norms shaped by family and matrimonial dynamics. Thus, women do not generally enter politics independently; rather, political careers are transmitted through family or marriage. Instead of being seen as political figures in their own right, women are generally viewed as either “the daughter of“ or “the wife of” a man. Access to political roles for women is therefore codified and structured, bearing a persistent patriarchal imprint. Most of these women politicians come from families with established political trajectories, or are married to men who possess social, economic, and political resources.