Cape Verde was voting Sunday in a presidential election that could make Joana Rosa the country’s first woman head of state since independence from Portugal in 1975.
The former justice minister is challenging President José Maria Neves, who is seeking a second term. Six candidates are competing. If none wins more than half the votes, a runoff will be held Nov. 29.
Rosa has the backing of the opposition Movement for Democracy, which governed for a decade before losing May’s parliamentary election. Women have held senior Cabinet positions, but the Atlantic island nation off West Africa has never had a woman president or prime minister.
People were interested in these podcasts
Under Cape Verde’s parliamentary system, the prime minister directs policy and holds most executive power. The directly elected president’s role is largely ceremonial, although the office carries the power to veto legislation.
The country of about half a million people has a record of competitive elections and peaceful transfers of power that stands out in the region. Nearly 77,000 citizens living abroad are registered to vote, accounting for almost a fifth of the electorate.
Roselma Évora, a professor of political science and gender studies at the University of Cabo Verde, said limited economic opportunities were pushing young people to leave. Many voters also feel disconnected from political leaders and want a president who understands their daily struggles, she said.
PHOTOS: Cape Verde election could deliver first woman president since independence in 1975
Neves, who won the presidency in 2021 with about 52% of the vote, has promised to build cross-party support to improve housing, healthcare and education, create jobs and raise wages.
His incumbency has given him greater visibility, including among overseas voters, Évora said. Rosa’s candidacy, meanwhile, challenges traditional expectations of women in a society that remains “very patriarchal.”
Rosa has focused her campaign on the balance of power, arguing that the presidency should serve as a counterweight to the African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde, which backs Neves and controls the government and most municipalities.
The party, known as PAICV, won a parliamentary majority in May, ending a decade of rule by the Movement for Democracy. A Rosa victory would again place the presidency and government in opposing political camps.
For Cape Verde-based writer Rosário Luz, party loyalties matter more than Rosa’s gender.
“We have a lot of women in politics, but we don’t have the policies for women that we should have,” she said.
Women shoulder much of the financial responsibility for their households, but government policies have failed to address that burden, Luz said.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.