The Status of Female Equality and Empowerment in Africa: A Study

This essay examines the critical issues surrounding female equality and empowerment in Africa. It highlights the historical context of gender inequality, emphasizing the disadvantages faced by women in a male-dominated society and the significant contributions of women to the African economy, particularly in agriculture. The essay discusses the cultural practices that hinder women's progress and the adverse impacts of gender inequality on poverty reduction and national growth. It further explores the efforts of the African Development Bank and regional frameworks to promote gender equality, including the introduction of the Protocol on the Rights of Women in Africa and the declaration of the Women's Decade. While acknowledging progress in women's economic and political empowerment, the essay also notes the persistent challenges, such as domestic violence and the disparity in household responsibilities. The conclusion underscores the need for continued efforts to achieve complete gender equality in Africa.

Running head: FEMALE EQUALITY AND EMPOWERMENT IN AFRICA
Female Equality and Empowerment in Africa
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author note

1FEMALE EQUALITY AND EMPOWERMENT IN AFRICA
The gender inequality is always in existence in the world. Woman are always at a
disadvantageous position in the male dominated society. Even in the twenty first century where
the world has made so much progress gender discrimination still remains in different forms. The
problem of gender inequality is more prevalent in underdeveloped countries. The essay discusses
gender inequality in Africa. Recently, Africa has taken measures for ensuring female equality
and empowers right of the women.
Women in Africa grow at a rate of 90% of entire African produce. Females contribute to
70 percent of agricultural labor in Africa. The contribution of woman as labor and growing food
makes significant contribution to improve Gross Domestic Product of the nation (Singh, Bloom
& Brodish, 2015). Despite the fact that woman in Africa fed a major share of inhabitants but
existing gender inequality hold them back from getting appreciation at their potential level. The
issue of woman right in Africa, barriers of woman to join advanced profession and aspects of
woman right in modern world are important to understand the overall scenario of woman in
Africa. There are some inherent cultural practices in Africa that is not in line with the interest of
woman. The status of woman reflects a broader issue in human condition of the continent.
Woman suffers from the underdevelopment and weak governance, lack of adequate health care
and primary education and bottlenecks in infrastructure. Female population in the continent
supplies 61.9% of total economic goods but they comprise only 8.5% of formal wage earning
employees (Ali, Deininger & Goldstein, 2014). The gender inequality has adverse impact of
poverty elimination goal of nation and affects the nation’s growth as a whole. Therefore,
elimination of inequality and ensuring female equality is regarded as essential policy objective
for Africa.

2FEMALE EQUALITY AND EMPOWERMENT IN AFRICA
Realizing the economic contribution of females African Development Bank puts the
objective of gender equality as the center of the development promotion goal of Africa. Female
equality is not only important because of its intrinsic valuation but also it play a crucial role in
achieving inclusive growth (Ewerling et al., 2017). It is widely recognized that investment in
woman development transmitted to a broader economic and social impact. In order to achieve
the objective of gender equality African government adapts agreement at national and regional
level. There are regional framework to support female equality and woman empowerment as
taken by African union for development of national and sub-regional framework, programs and
policies. With this objective, the protocol on the rights of woman in Africa in introduced in 2003.
In 2008, Africa declared 2010-2020 as the woman decade that advanced gender equality by
fostering implementation of Beijing, Dakar and African Union Assemble decision for
eliminating gender discrimination (Patel, Knijn & Van Wel, 2015). The woman empowerment is
promoted with the dual approach of top down and bottom up. To counteract unfavorable
traditional practices the framework for action and recommendation on harmful traditional
practices launched in 2011. At the level of sub region, the Southern African Development
Community adapts a protocol of gender equality. The West Africa has gender policy that focuses
on policy design of gender equality and implements those policies.
Gender equality is one important aspect of Millennium Development goals and
consequently makes its place in the objective of sustainable development. With some major steps
African Women are showing economic and some political empowerment. However, some
portion female populations are still facing economic hardship and are in a disadvantageous
position. A greater involvement in leadership is now observed among the African woman. In
fact, the participation of females in African legislature often exceeds those in many developed

3FEMALE EQUALITY AND EMPOWERMENT IN AFRICA
nations. In this field African state Rwanda ranks first in world followed with Seychelles, South
Africa and Senegal taking place in the list of top ten countries (unwomen.org, 2017). Fifteen
countries in the continent are ahead of United Kingdom and France, forty two countries ranked
above Japan and twenty four is that of United States.
Despite the some evidences of progress there is a long way to go to be completely
successful in this goal. Females have to struggle in some spheres of society and economic as
well. Though domestic violence shows a declining trend the tolerance in Africa is twice that in
most of developing countries (Un.org, 2017). Woman still engage in household hold by five
more hours on average in a day as compared to their mail counterpart.
In conclusion, it can be said that woman is Africa had faced a disadvantageous status
since a long time. Recently some progress has been made in improving woman status and hope it
will soon achieve complete gender equality.

4FEMALE EQUALITY AND EMPOWERMENT IN AFRICA
References
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