President Faure Gnassingbe of Togo will face six other candidates in the election, including longtime rival Jean Pierre Fabre. Fabre, a human rights activist, was nominated as the leader of Togo's main opposition party, National Alliance for Change, late last year. Thanks in part to the fragmented opposition, Gnassingbe is favored to win.

The past few months have not been comforting for advocates of dynastic succession in Africa. In Togo and Gabon, favorite sons have become focal points for popular frustration.

Welcome to “Women This Week,” a series that highlights noteworthy news related to women and U.S. foreign policy.

A looming crisis of succession in several African countries indicates a troubling persistence of ego-driven political paternalism.

Sub-Saharan Africa is home to many of the world’s longest-ruling heads of state. Pro-democracy advocates have at times successfully stopped presidents from extending their mandates, but the authorita…