Woman protesting for Human Rights holding a banner handwritten on cardboard.
Gender inequality has deep roots in Africa, ingrained in cultural, religious, and traditional beliefs that often relegate women to second-class status. As famously remarked by a former Nigerian leader, President Muhammadu Buhari, women are sometimes seen as belonging only to the kitchen. While strides have been made in certain regions, such as Rwanda, which stands as a beacon of gender equality with women holding prominent positions in government, the battle against gender inequality persists across much of the continent.
Despite comprising nearly half of Africa’s population, women continue to be marginalized. With a population exceeding 1.4 billion, Africa carries the weight of being labeled the poorest continent on earth, with almost half of its inhabitants living below the poverty line set by the World Bank.
Gender inequality is one of the barriers to Africa’s progress in combating poverty. By excluding women from the growth process, the continent misses out on the potential economic growth they could contribute. Rwanda stands as a great example of the positive impact of prioritizing women’s rights, with Afghanistan’s economy serving as a contrast, demonstrating the economic consequences of neglecting women’s education and employment rights. As the world celebrates International Women’s Day, it is important to reform policies aimed at promoting women’s rights, land and property ownership, and prioritising girls’ education to reduce poverty in Africa.
Tackling poverty in Africa goes beyond mere infrastructure development, especially when half of the population is hindered by gender-based limitations.
In numerous regions of Africa, inequality runs high. For example, in South Sudan and certain parts of Sub-Saharan Africa, women face discrimination concerning land ownership, a fundamental factor for economic progress. Studies demonstrate that property rights are fundamental to economic progress, and the limited access women have to these assets would stifle communal growth of a nation.
According to the World Bank, women’s access to assets fosters thriving communities, exemplified by Rwanda’s 12 percent surge in female entrepreneurship following land title acquisitions, significantly reducing poverty levels in the country. Women’s access to land and ownership is important in the reduction of poverty as it significantly impacts economic mobility, bargaining power within households, and household resilience.
Furthermore, despite the existence of constitutional provisions safeguarding women’s rights in Africa, the reality falls short of these ideals. While laws and policies may exist on paper, their effectiveness is often limited, hindering women from fully realizing their potential and participating equally in the economy. This results in missed opportunities for economic growth and development at the national level. The continent boasts various regional and domestic binding documents, such as the Maputo Protocol, aimed at protecting women from violence and preventing child marriage. However, Domestic violence against women remains prevalent in certain regions like DR Congo, Burundi, and Uganda, and despite policies against it, child marriage persists in Niger, Chad, Mali, and part of Nigeria.
The prioritisation of quality education remains a critical challenge for women in Africa, where families often prioritise sending their male children to formal education over their female counterparts.
Recently, thousands of women and men protested in Nairobi and other major cities in Kenya calling for an end to femicide and violence against women. Statistics from the Africa Data Hub reveal that despite legislative efforts, at least 500 women and girls have been murdered in Kenya since 2016. This means while laws and policies exist, they fail to protect women from discrimination and violence.
African leaders bear the responsibility of safeguarding the rights of all citizens, including women. Law enforcement agencies must be trained to intervene effectively in cases of discrimination, and perpetrators should be held accountable under the law. African nations should translate their legal frameworks into tangible actions that ensure the empowerment and protection of women throughout the continent.
The prioritization of quality education remains a critical challenge for women in Africa, where families often prioritize sending their male children to formal education over their female counterparts. According to a report from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), if all students — including female children — in low-income countries acquired basic reading skills, an estimated 171 million people could lift themselves out of extreme poverty. This shows that female children inclusive in quality education can significantly reduce property rate and improve the economic growth of a country.
Unfortunately, at the moment in Africa, a staggering 18.8 million girls are out of school. So if education serves as a potent tool in combating poverty, then the root of Africa’s problem is ascertained. Centuries of girl-child marriage, decades of gender inequality, and absence of a female gender to contribute significantly to the overall economic development play its part in African countries’ slow progress.
African leaders bear the responsibility of safeguarding the rights of all citizens, including women.
To address the various reasons keeping girls out of school requires tailored interventions. For example, in 2000, Mauritanian government narrowed the gender gap in primary schools from 13 to 4 percent by increasing the number of female teachers, while Guinea doubled the number of girls in school through initiatives such as building latrines, supporting pregnant students, distributing free textbooks, and increasing the number of female teachers..
Governments need to assess the challenges faced by girls and create effective interventions to solve these problems. By doing so, they can unlock the full potential of the human resources while simultaneously addressing social challenges such as child marriage.
Tackling poverty in Africa goes beyond mere infrastructure development, especially when half of the population is hindered by gender-based limitations. Harnessing the potential of women, who constitute half of the population, is crucial for sustainable economic growth and development.
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Oluwabukola Adimula is an advocate for human rights and gender equality, with experience in communications, research, and project management. She is a Prometheus fellow, Alumnus of the African Liberty Writing Fellowship, and was part of the Young Voices Contributor Program. Oluwabukola writes on women’s rights, politics, youth engagement, free trade policy and human rights in Africa.
