Simone Gbagbo is one of two female candidates contesting the 25 October vote which incumbent President Alassane Ouattara is widely expected to win.

Yamoussoukro

Simone Gbagbo, the former first lady of Ivory Coast, is among five candidates approved to run in the country's upcoming presidential election. Gbagbo, who was a prominent figure during her husband Laurent Gbagbo's presidency, is campaigning in the southwestern region and is one of two women in the race. 

With several key political leaders, including her ex-husband, barred from running, concerns about post-election instability have arisen. Gbagbo and other candidates are urging peaceful campaigning, discouraging violent demonstrations, and encouraging participation through voting. If successful, Gbagbo would become Ivory Coast's first female president.

Ivory Coast's former first lady campaigns ahead of presidential polls

Simone Gbagbo, Ivory Coast's former first lady, is the surprise inclusion in the list of five candidates cleared to contest the upcoming presidential election. Incumbent President Alassane Ouattara is widely expected to secure a fourth term in the 25th of October vote. But Gbagbo, whose husband Laurent lost to Ouattara in the 2010 poll, believes otherwise. I want us to take part in these elections because as Blaise Goudet said earlier, I believe that in these elections we can win. Widely seen as the power behind the throne during Laurent Gbagbo's time in power, she spent the week campaigning in the southwestern part of the country and is one of two female candidates taking part in the polls. I think the idea of women taking part is much less shocking now than it would have been 20 or 30 years ago. Ivorian women are now recognised and can be found in all sectors and at all levels of responsibility. So confidence in women has increased. With several key political leaders barred, including her ex-husband, there have been fears of post-election instability. Simone and other contenders are stepping up calls for a peaceful campaign as the parties of disqualified candidates call for demonstrations. Doing brutal, violent actions, etc., I don't think it pays off. I would like to call on them, the organisers of the protest marches, to abandon this path and choose the voice of the vote. Winning the presidency would make the 76-year-old the country's first female president after a long, active and sometimes controversial career in Ivorian politics.

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Breakdown