How Empowering Women Can Help End Poverty in Africa

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For far too long, women and girls in Africa have faced discrimination and inequalities in the workforce which have not only hurt them, but their families, communities and their countries as a whole. As we begin 2015, the African Union’s Year of Women’s Empowerment, one thing is clear: we will not reduce poverty without working to achieve gender equality.

While most governments in Africa acknowledge that empowering women and girls is a key contributor to economic development, the fertility transition in Africa ─ an important factor in sustained economic growth ─ has been much slower than in other regions of the world. Access to family planning and maternal health services – as well as education for girls – typically results in improved economic opportunity for women and lower fertility. Some governments in Africa are seeking innovative ways to accelerate the demographic transition. In Niger, for example, where the fertility rate (7.6 children per woman) is among the highest in the world, “School for Husbands”, an education program delivered by trusted, traditional community leaders are flourishing across the country and highlighting the benefits of family planning and reproductive health.

Healthy, educated girls with equal access to opportunities can grow into strong, smart women who can take on leadership roles in their countries. President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who is leading the fight against Ebola in Liberia, is an example. In leadership positions, women can also help to develop policies that support women and girls, and continue to provide greater opportunities for jobs, education and health services. In countries such as Rwanda and South Africa, an increase in the number of female lawmakers helped advance legislation promoting gender equality such as providing equal land rights to women and ensuring reproductive rights.  In Rwanda, improved land tenure security led women owners to increase their investments in land by 18 percentage points, twice the level observed for men.
 
While the continent has one of the highest rates of female labor participation ─second only to Asia─ vulnerable employment (such as unpaid family work) remains the norm. African women work longer hours than men and perform most of the (unpaid) household work. Research shows that women’s average daily hours in agricultural work in four Sub-Saharan African countries is almost 467 minutes a day, compared with about 371 minutes a day for men.
 
How empowering women can help end poverty in Africa © Sarah Farhat, World Bank Group

Although women farmers make up almost half of the agricultural workforce across the continent, their level of productivity is significantly lower than that of their male counterparts. In Malawi, for example, a recent study showed that plots managed by women are 25% less productive than plots managed by men. It is estimated, however, that if women worldwide had equal access to productive resources (seeds, fertilizer, extension services, to name a few), 100-150 million fewer people would go hungry every day.
 
Often overlooked are the significant contributions that African women make to regional trade, crossing country boundaries to share goods, services and skills where they are needed. But challenges such as nontariff barriers, which restrict imports, limit their potential to contribute so much more, not just regionally, but globally. Informal cross-border trading, of which women make up 70%, contributes an average of $17.6 billion per year to the 15 member states of the Southern African Development Community alone. 

Most women in the non-farm labor force are self-employed in the informal sector but have no access to finance to grow their businesses. Further, market segregation often relegates women to less productive sectors. However, as a recent World Bank study showed, in Uganda, women working in male-dominated sectors make three times as much as women with traditional female jobs.

Gender gaps in education are just as pervasive. Although there has been a significant increase in enrollment rates for girls at the primary level in Sub-Saharan Africa, boys are still 1.55 times more likely to complete secondary education. In contrast, girls are more likely to drop out, if they are able to attend secondary school all. In Eastern and Southern Africa, poverty and work demands in the home often prevent girls from attending school, a trend which is further compounded by child marriage. In Angola, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Mozambique, girls enroll in primary school at a lower rate than boys, and enrollment rates drop even lower at secondary and tertiary levels. The bottom line is that poverty decreases when more women and girls are educated: secondary education increases girls’ future wages by 10-20%. And women are often more likely to spend money on things that benefit children, improving their chances of achieving health and prosperity.

Providing evidence to close the gender gap

The World Bank has made achieving gender equality a top priority. In 2013, we launched the Africa Gender Innovation Lab to address the underlying causes of gender inequality through rigorous impact evaluations to identify solutions to close the gender gap. Evidence from Uganda suggests that the right combination of vocational and life skills training can dramatically improve adolescent girls’ livelihoods. In Burkina Faso, our researchers found that financially empowering adolescent girls and their families can significantly and positively impact their sexual behavior and health.

In May 2013, World Bank President Jim Yong Kim announced $1 billion in support for countries in the Great Lakes Region with a special emphasis on women, who are among the most vulnerable groups in the region. As part of that pledge, the Bank approved $107 million for Burundi, the DRC and Rwanda, to address gender-based violence. The project provides integrated health and counseling services and legal aid and provides economic opportunities to survivors of sexual and gender-based violence – the first of its kind in Africa.

We have also sharpened our focus on women in the Sahel region through the $170 million Sahel Women’s Empowerment and Demographics Project. This operation adds to the Bank’s existing commitments for maternal and child health programs in the Sahel. The project will improve reproductive health resources across the region by making them more accessible and more affordable. It will also strengthen existing training centers that provide midwifery/nursing services in rural areas, and pilot and share knowledge on adolescent girls’ initiatives.

Women are essential to ending poverty around the world. Nowhere is that more true than in Sub-Saharan Africa. Strengthening women's roles as leaders, entrepreneurs, consumers and economic stakeholders will transform the continent. For the better.

 

Bertrand Mizero
February 04, 2015

I definitely agree with both of you. Lack of education, and poverty in a broad way, are main factors that undermine gender equality. But on the other hand, as Ann Kele said above, culture, traditions and religion play a big role in sustaining that inequality. Saudi arabia's literacy rate was of 94.4% in 2013 and its GDP per capita was of $25,961.8.But we all know that Basic Law of Saudi Arabia does not guarantee gender equality.It requires that the government be premised on equality in accordance with Sharia law; but under Sharia law, women are considered to be legal minors, under the control of their mahram.
I then believe that, aside from classic programs of fighting against poverty, much effort must also be put in promoting mindset and policy change in conservative societies such as the one of Saudi Arabia.

ayebazibwe esther
February 09, 2015

This world is changing. It is high time society looked at the value of women. if this is done, povety will be alleviated. I believe in equality for development!!

Mylene Habonimana
February 04, 2015

I believe that in Africa more women should have an education in order to become leaders and help their countries.Men can not only always be leaders in everything that is why both men and women should have equal opportunities. Therefore I agree

Kabano
February 03, 2015

The poverty seems to be the most challenge for gender equality. How many girls do you think are droppings schools due to the lack of school fees? We have also the challenge of parents thinking on girls education ....As they use to say" Diprome y' umwana w' umukobwa ni Umugabo" The degree of a girl is the husband.

GEZAHAGN BEREHANE
February 06, 2015

now in ETHIOPIA ALMOST ALL GRILS IMMIGIRANT TO ARBIYA BECOUSE OF TO NEED INCOME TO HELP FAMILY

Eshetu Gossaye
February 04, 2015

Empowering women couldn't be a one time or a one party(i.e. government)activity. It should be well orchestrated among the stakeholders. Above all, starting from drafting the plans and projects, it must be based on the participation of the women. I am highly believed that women empowering is not only the tool to eradicate poverty. It's also a home remedy to fight terrorism at the familg level.

Ann Kele
January 29, 2015

Gender equality is important for those women who would like to be equal! Family traditions,religions may not help these kind of efforts. In my view men and women, together can do more for gender equality !

alice omaji
May 15, 2020

Women empowerment through appropriate capacity building and training is must if Africa is to survive in the 21st century. The mode of work is now technology based and the market is now global; these require new thinking and ways of doing things. All hands must be on deck to help women achieve well so that they in turn, can empower the generations to come.

Jules
June 01, 2020

Taking from the informal sector,Many previous retrenchments and currently and presently we are preparing for more loss of income,No resources,Land and access to healthy livelihood.....women are the carriers of the family unit and will be more pressured,as to find solutions.

Twongirwe Ireen
September 21, 2021

yes its true that empowering women will lead to poverty eradication. this is because when women are empowered, there is gender equality through promoting gender equity ,and through this, women are raising their own voices fighting for their rights , women are going to produce very few children hence low population which is ok for our country. empowered woman will start her own business for income generation and to look after her family hence reducing poverty and due to gender inquality, women are being faced by domestic violence .
I therefore believe that empowering women will eradicate poverty.

Sr.Basilisa Panga
August 09, 2023

Women empowering can end poverty simply, they can producers in the terms of agriculture, petty trade, animal raring, and they the good reserve of the funds even if very small funds. Second, they are capable to change the children minds and works together with their children to enable children education, children house hold economical changes, and finally the community mind sets will change. Women are very serious, keeping the secretary and have ability to implement if will be empowered. They are minds are focus to children and community, families and societies. Women are not easily corrupted, if are well mentored and counseled are capable to the change children minds, youth minds and finally the whole families and community. Women are needs to be empowered on law issues, democratic, human rights issues, women and children rights and has to be given power, right to raise their voice and children voice,