Gender - Women Key to African Development

Washington May 11 2000Reducing barriers to women's involvement in African economies is critical to the continent's development, ministers agreed Thursday.

African ministers and senior government officials have been meeting in Washington for a workshop titled "Africa and the 21st Century: The Imperative of Gender," hosted by the World Bank. The workshop focused on how to improve a range of gender-related issues including: girls' education, health issues, fighting HIV/AIDS, social protection and the impact of debt relief on gender.

Participants recognized the fact that Sub-saharan Africa's main challenge in the 21st century is to achieve double-digit and equitable growth and sustainable development. Reducing gender inequalities in access to and control of a diverse range of productive, human and social capital assets is critical to the process.

Both men and women in Africa play substantial economic roles but women generally work longer hours than men. Data compiled by the International Food Policy Research Institute indicate that African women perform about 90 percent of the work of processing food crops and providing household water and fuelwood; 80 percent of the work of food storage and transport from farm to village; 90 percent of the work of hoeing and weeding; and 60 percent of the work of harvesting and marketing. There are marked sub-regional variations in men's and women's share of work; in much of the Sahel, men play a greater role in agriculture, including the food sector.

Gender-based inequality acts as a constraint to growth and poverty reduction. Country case studies throughout Africa point to patterns of disadvantage that women face, compared with men, in accessing the basic assets and resources needed to participate fully in realizing Africa's growth potential.

The World Bank, through the Strategic Partnership with Africa (formerly the Special Program of Assistance), focuses on five areas to address gender inequality:

Promoting Participation of Poor Women and Men: there is an important role for public policy in reaching out to the poor, and especially in building up women's skills and capabilities to make effective decisions. This approach will play an integral role in the Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSP) as men and women are affected differently by poverty reduction measures. Consequently, the participatory processes for preparing and implementing PRSPs need to be gender-inclusive so as to capture and act on these key differences.

Reducing the Burden of Domestic Work: public policy can have a significant impact on the heavy time burden of domestic work. Infrastructure provision for clean and accessible water supply is especially important, in view of its multiple benefits. Improved domestic technologies may enable women who have income-generating activities to avoid passing the time costs of domestic work on to daughters.

Investment in Girls education: research has demonstrated that educating girls has benefits at the personal, community and social levels that make it one of the most important investments than any developing country can make. Educating girls raises economic productivity, lowers maternal and infant mortality, reduces fertility rates and improves awareness of prevention methods against HIV/AIDS. The educational prospects of the next generation can promote sound management of environmental resources and reduce poverty.

Support Rural Livelihood Strategies and Subsistence Agriculture: agricultural policy, research, and extension need to support the livelihood of smallholder households. Agricultural growth is indispensable for poverty reduction in Africa. The food sectors, including production, processing, transport, and marketing-where women predominate-will have the greatest impact on women's income earning, household welfare, and food security.

Gender in Statistics, National Accounts, and in Poverty Analysis and Monitoring: statistics and indicators on the situation of women and men in all spheres of society are an essential tool in promoting equality. Gender statistics have an essential role in the elimination of stereotypes, in the formulation of policies, and in monitoring progress toward full equality.

Ministers from Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe attended this week's workshop.

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Women Key to African Development