Cape Verde was holding a presidential election on Sunday, a vote that could see the Atlantic island nation off the coast of West Africa elect its first woman president since independence from Portugal in 1975.

Former Justice Minister Joana Rosa is challenging incumbent José Maria Neves, who is seeking a second term. Six candidates are in the running and if no candidate receives more than half the votes, a runoff would be held on Nov. 29.

Rosa is running with the support of the opposition Movement for Democracy, a party that ruled the country for 10 years before losing in the parliamentary elections in May. Women have held senior Cabinet posts, but Cape Verde has never had a female prime minister or president.

In Cape Verde’s parliamentary system, the prime minister directs government policy and holds most executive authority. The president’s role is largely symbolic, although the directly elected head of state can veto legislation.

The country is home to about half a million people and has a record of peaceful transfers of power and competitive elections in a region where that is rare. Nearly 77,000 Cape Verdeans abroad are registered to vote, almost a fifth of the total electorate.

Roselma Évora, a professor of political science and gender studies at the University of Cabo Verde, said that limited economic prospects have been driving young people to seek opportunities abroad. Also, she said, many voters feel distant from their leaders and want a president who understands their daily difficulties.

Neves, who won in 2021 with about 52% of the vote, has pledged to build cross-party support to improve housing, healthcare and education, create jobs and raise wages.

His incumbency has given Neves greater visibility in the race, including among overseas voters, Évora said, adding that Rosa’s candidacy challenges traditional expectations of women’s roles in a society that remains “very patriarchal."

Rosa has centered her campaign on maintaining a balance of power, arguing that the country needs a counterweight to the African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde, which backs Neves and controls the government and most municipalities.

Known as PAICV, the party won a parliamentary majority in May, ending a decade of government led by the Movement for Democracy. A Rosa victory would again put the presidency and government in rival political camps.

Rosário Luz, a Cape Verde-based writer, said party loyalties mattered 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 carry much of the financial responsibility for their households in Cape Verde, but government policies have failed to address that burden, Luz said.