Exposé: Women in Africa

« INTRODUCTION Women in Africa are very dynamic economic agents, more so than anywhere else in the world.

They carry out the majority of agricultural activities, own a third of all enterprises and in some countries account for up to 70% of employees.

Beyond their income-generating activities, they are the main levers of the domestic economy and family well-being, and play an absolutely indispensable — sometimes unrecognized — role as leaders within their respective communities and nations.

And yet, across the African continent, women face a range of barriers to achieving their full potential, ranging from restrictive cultural practices and discriminatory laws to highly segmented labour markets.

Eliminating gender inequalities and empowering women could increase the productive potential of one billion Africans and significantly boost the continent's development potential. I- WOMEN IN THE FIELD OF PRODUCTION 1.

Women in production To assess equal economic opportunity, the Gender Equality Index compares men's and women's labour force participation rates, wages and incomes, business ownership, and access to financial services.

The figures indicate that by global standards, African women are both economically active and highly invested in entrepreneurship.

They form the core of the agricultural labour force and own the majority of informal sector businesses.

Unfortunately, they are usually found in low-value-added occupations, where economic profitability is insignificant.

They face a range of barriers that prevent them from moving towards more productive activities. 2.

Land Land is the main asset for agriculture.

In all societies, it is also an important source of wealth and a reference point in terms of social status.

In sub-Saharan Africa, traditional land tenure systems largely exclude women from owning or controlling land resources.

Women make up only 15% of land holders (i.e., those who exercise control over the management of a farm, either as owners, tenants or under customary law), from less than 5% in Mali to 30% in countries such as Botswana, Cape Verde and Malawi.3 Their farms tend to be of lower quality and smaller than those owned by men.

In many customary legal systems, women's rights to inherit land are limited and they are vulnerable to dispossession as a result of divorce or widowhood. 3.

Credit Women invest more in their families when they have access to financial services.

Women – in agriculture and small businesses – need access to financial services, such as savings, credit and insurance, to grow their businesses.

In particular, they need access to credit to provide working capital, to address the challenges arising from income gaps, and to finance investments in the acquisition of new equipment or technology.

There is also ample evidence that providing women with direct access to financial services can lead to increased investment in nutrition and education, and human capital development, while enabling households to be more resilient to shocks and uncertainties. 4.

Connection to infrastructure Africa's huge infrastructure deficit is a major impediment to its development.

Africa's infrastructure lags far behind other developing regions, both in terms of regional and domestic connections.

Infrastructure services — especially electricity — often cost twice as much as those in other regions, reflecting losses of scale and high profit margins due to a lack of competition.

Africa's fragile states — where capital investment and maintenance have often been neglected — face enormous challenges, but even resource-rich African countries lag behind in infrastructure development.

All in all, the cost of reducing Africa's infrastructure deficit is estimated at about $93 billion per year. II- WOMEN AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT 1.

Human Development Investing in women and girls is one of the most effective ways to promote development.

It has been recognized for years that investing in women's human development — and in particular girls' education — is a win-win situation.

This improves women's quality of life as it allows them to be more productive actors in society.

It also allows them to advocate for human development for their families and communities.

The improvement in the well-being and prospects of their children has multiplier effects that increase with each generation.

Conversely, social problems that disproportionately affect women, such as high maternal mortality and.... »