Gender and Economic Empowerment in Africa: Evidence and Policy

Gender inequality continues to be a major challenge in Africa. Although progress has been made by ratification of international and regional conventions and commitments by African countries, gender inequality is still prevalent in all sectors of the economy, including the labour market. The majority of women are working in the informal sector or on small pieces of land and are engaged in care work, where the work is invisible and unpaid. Women's labour force participation rates are lower than those for men. More men than women work in the formal sector where the work is paid and supported by all the national policies. Women contribute immensely to the country's economy. Despite their contribution, gender inequality still prevails. Women have limited access to credit, land, agricultural inputs, equipment and extension services, and markets for their produce. They spend more time in care and domestic work than men. Some of the inequities are embedded in the deep-rooted cultural norms and beliefs in the societies. These inequalities can only be addressed by removal of policies that reinforce gender inequalities as well as formulating and enforcing laws that seek to improve women's economic empowerment. Initiatives identified to improve women's economic empowerment include revision of regulations to increase women's participation in the labour market, skills training, policy reforms on regulations that hinder women's empowerment, setting up of micro-credit schemes, use of technology to access markets such as mobile phones to release women's time in caring and domestic work, fostering of partnership by providing funding to women, cash transfers and welfare fund, subsidised or publicly provided child care and skill training as well as improving infrastructure services such as water and electricity.