[1] REFELA was founded at the first Forum of Locally Elected Women of Africa, held at Tangier in Morocco in March 2011.
[2] From 2012 until December 2015 REFELA's president was Fatimatou Abdel Malick, Mayor of Tevragh-Zeina in Mauritania.
In November 2015 the Cameroonian politician Célestine Ketcha Courtès was elected to succeed Abdel Malick as president.
[3] In 2019 Ketcha Courtès was succeeded as president by Macoura Dao, Mayor of Foumbolo in Ivory Coast.
[4][2] 2021 was Rohey Malick Lowe, the Lord Mayor of Banjul City Council (BCC) / Gambia elected.