Empowering Women in Africa

Date: Wednesday, 21 August 2024

Author: Heba Sharaf

Country: United Arab Emirates

Source: “Empowered women empower the world”  (2018, May 13). https://mx.pinterest.com/pin/36451078218861656/

SUMMARY

This article looks at the hurdles, advances, and plans to boost women's power in Africa. It points out the big roadblocks African women run into, such as money gaps, trouble getting resources, and less schooling, while also noting wins in politics and financial clout. The article stresses that we need full-scale law changes, rules that consider gender and local programs to keep up and improve women's standing in Africa.

BACKGROUND

Abstract

As female empowerment and gender equality are highly impacted by economic development, this paper explores the extent to which African women are empowered. As African economies grow, an increasing number of individuals can escape poverty, and improved policies can address the barriers that trap households in poverty (De Welde & Stepnick, 2023).

African women experience more gender discrimination in a wider variety of family, legal, social, and ancestry institutions than do men. These multiple sources of discrimination result in African females experiencing large inequalities in opportunities for individual development, voice, access to land, access to market institutions, access to financial institutions, and economic participation.

Despite these many challenges, there is strong evidence of increasing gender equality, especially in increased government support for female land rights and agricultural development, as well as educational achievement (Bilan et al.2020). However, African women and men are not monolithic: a small number of individuals, both male and female, scuttle around these roadblocks, often engaging in flouting institutions that enforce discrimination.

This paper provides a chronology of the progress that is being made, as well as outlines the policies that governments can initiate to assist women and reduce the persistence of gender inequality (Napier et al.2020).

Introduction

Women's empowerment in Africa stands as a key issue not only for the continent but also for the world at large. This empowerment has a strong connection to broader goals of sustainable development, social fairness, and economic expansion. Many African countries still face gender inequality as a big hurdle to growth, which affects women's overall quality of life and society as a whole.

To address these gaps, it is essential to uphold human rights and to achieve growth that includes everyone and lasts (United Nations, 2015). This paper looks into the hurdles, progress, and plans to empower women in Africa. It focuses on how changes in the economy, society, and laws can boost gender equality and give women more power across the continent.

1.1. Definition and Importance of Women's Empowerment in Africa

Worldwide, women's empowerment has become a political goal. It is argued that if development projects are to be considered meaningful and sustainable, women must play a more active role in their development. Consequently, African development programs, supported by bilateral and multilateral donors, no longer focus solely on one group of disadvantaged people, such as rural farmers.

 On the contrary, program documents now consistently emphasize the need for both men and women from different groups to have access to and participate in the training, funding, and management of numerous project activities (Japaridze, 2021). Yet this political pressure and the increase in women in development (WID) programs mask a gap between theory and Practice.

In part, this gap can be attributed to the limits and contradictions in the current conceptualizations of projects designed to empower women (Azis and Azarine2023). It is not uncommon to see conceptual arguments consider, for instance, women's lack of access to land but not attempt to explore gender relations, access, and decision-making within the household (Hessini, 2020).

This paper aims to explore these gender-specific concepts in terms of different strategies that aim to empower women in the area of agrarian development. With the aid of cases from Nigeria, we discuss both the need to develop an integrated approach to meaningfully address gender relations and the importance of project design itself (Carl et al., 2020).

At the same time, we wish to challenge the political rhetoric that has led to the abrupt increase in the number of WID projects incorporated within development programs (Gao et al., 2021). The currently popular strategy, focusing on the establishment of large numbers of WID programs, both time-consuming and expensive, will have only a relatively small impact concerning the smallholder population living in poverty in most African countries such as Nigeria (Islam and Valles2020).

2.1. The Importance of Addressing Gender Inequality in Africa

Gender inequality in Africa has its long back in history; Women still face discrimination that limits their access to schooling, health services, jobs, and politics. This doesn't just affect women; it holds back the entire continent's progress. When African nations tackle this problem, they can unlock the skills of half their people. This can boost the economy, improve living standards, and create a fairer society for everyone (World Bank 2022).

2.2. Historical Context of Women's Rights in Africa

The struggle for women's rights in Africa has a rich and complex past marked by progress and setbacks. In the past, many African communities were male-dominated, pushing women into lesser roles. The arrival of colonial powers made gender inequality worse by messing up traditional systems that often gave women some freedom and a chance to participate in the economy (Amadiume, 1987).

When African countries became independent, women's groups started to gain momentum, calling for changes in laws and more women in politics. However, the leftovers of colonial and traditional male-centered systems continue to influence gender relationships in many African countries today (Mama, 2001).

3. Challenges Faced by African Women

3.1. Economic Disparities and Access to Resources

African women face big money problems. They can't get things they need, like land, loans, or ways to make money. Unfair laws and cultural customs often keep these problems going by giving men more power over resources. In many African countries, women are less likely than men to own land or use banks. This makes it hard for them to grow their businesses or become independent (Doss et al., 2013).

4. Progress and Success Stories

Education is a fundamental human right and has a major influence on women's empowerment. Yet, in many parts of Africa, girls and women run into big hurdles to learning, like being poor, getting married young, and facing violence because of their gender. These problems cause big gaps between men and women in reading, writing, and school success in country areas. When women can't get an education, it doesn't just limit their job options. It also keeps cycles of being poor and unequal going for the kids who come after them (UNESCO, 2021).

4.1. Political Representation and Leadership

Despite facing many challenges, Africa has seen big wins in giving women more power in politics. Countries such as  Rwanda and Senegal, for example, have created great strides in involving more women to enter leadership spots.

For example, Rwanda has the world's highest share of women in parliament. This comes from well-planned policies and quotas meant to boost gender equality in politics (Bauer 2012).

4.2. Economic Empowerment Initiatives

Africa has put in place good programs to give women more economic power. Small loans, farming groups, and business classes help many women make their own money and improve their financial situation. These programs do more than create job chances for women. They also help build up communities because women can put money into their families and local businesses (Kabeer, 2005).

5. Strategies for Sustainable Empowerment

5.1. Legal Reforms and Gender-Responsive Policies

Keeping the progress in empowering women in Africa requires comprehensive legal reforms and gender-responsive policies. These include getting rid of unfair laws protecting women's rights to land and property and giving equal access to education and jobs. Also, governments must make sure these policies work, and women can get legal help when someone violates their rights (UN Women 2020).

5.2. Community-Based Programs and Grassroots Movements

Local community programs and grassroots movements play a crucial role in empowering women. These efforts usually try to boost awareness about women's rights, provide education and job training, and push for women to lead in community decisions. When women gain power at the local level, these programs don't just help change society as a whole. They also challenge deep-seated cultural norms that keep gender inequality going (Cornwall & Edwards 2014).

6. Conclusion and Future Directions

This paper shines a light on the big hurdles African women face as they try to gain more power. These include money problems, trouble getting resources, and gaps in schooling. Still, it points out the steps forward in getting women into politics and helping them make money.

To keep this progress going and make it even better, we need to change laws, push for policies that help women, and back programs in local areas that give women more power from the ground up. Moving forward, we should focus on making a space where women can thrive. This means keeping up our push for change, working on new policies, and putting money into women's education and chances to earn.

REFERENCES

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2. Bauer, G. (2012). "Let There Be a Balance": Women in African Parliaments. African Studies Review, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/264270489_' Let_there_be_a_Balance'_Women_in_African_Parliaments

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10. Mama, A. (2001). Challenging Patriarchy: The Women's Movement in Africa. In M. Molyneux & S. Razavi (Eds.), Gender Justice, Development, and Rights (pp. 286-307). Oxford University Press. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/242523415

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13. UN Women. (2020). Progress of the World's Women 2019-2020: Families in a Changing World. https://www.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/progress-of-the-worlds-women

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