Promoting gender equality and women's empowerment

 Gender policies developed by most countries, but progress in implementation mixed. Improvements in social spheres and in political representation, but limited progress in economic participation.

Key commitments

Africa: African leaders have reaffirmed their commitments to gender equality, women’s rights and empowerment in both economic and political spheres following the adoption of the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa, (2003) and The Solemn Declaration on Gender Equality in Africa (SDGEA, 2004). This culminated in the adoption of the African Union (AU) Gender Policy in 2009 and the launch of African Women’s Decade in 2010, reaffirmed with the launch of the Fund for African Women in 2011. African governments have also made commitments through a number of international agreements. Leaders have committed to promote maternal, newborn, and child health and development in Africa by 2015, notably through the Campaign on Accelerated Reduction of Maternal Mortality in Africa (see Topic 8). A series of commitments emphasising gender concerns in social and economic spheres have also been made through AU and regional level sectoral declarations, including on education, health, youth employment, food security and migration (see also Agriculture, Education, Health and Food Security).

Development partners: Development partners have committed to the principles of gender equality through a series of international agreements, such as The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). MDG3 calls for gender equality and empowerment of women with a target of eliminating gender disparity in education (see Education). Key commitments on development assistance and aid effectiveness refer to the objectives of gender equality. Development partners have also committed support to gender equality through a series of sectoral initiatives, as well as commitments to assist developing countries manage the impact of the 2009 financial crisis pledged to accelerate action on gender equality. The G-20 have highlighted gender gaps in relation to skills in their 2010 multi-year action plan on development, and in 2011 placed special emphasis on the need for gender sensitive agricultural plans and policies (see Infrastructure). The Fourth High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness in Busan  recognised the need to accelerate efforts to achieve gender parity and empowerment through development programs grounded in country priorities. 

What has been done to deliver on these commitments?

Africa: Progress in entrenching norms and standards for promoting and protecting the rights of women is mixed. All but three African countries have ratified the CEDAW and 32 countries have ratified the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa. Many countries have integrated non-discriminatory clauses into their respective constitutions and other legislative instruments and have undertaken reforms in marriage, family and property relations (including inheritance). Strategic responses to violence against women have been strengthened by the UN Secretary General’s Africa Unite Campaign to end Violence against Women and Girls and other related initiatives. Eighteen of the 28 African countries practising female genital mutilation have outlawed it, although law enforcement remains weaker. Nine countries have established social protection programmes benefiting women.

Development partners: In 2009-2010 OECD–DAC members committed an annual average of US$24.9 billion in 2009-10 globally in bilateral support for gender equality, much of it in the health, education and governance sectors. Lower priority was given to gender equality in economic and productive sectors. African countries constituted the top 10 partners of the majority of DAC members providing direct support in this area. Multilateral development banks and International Finance Institutions (IFIs) have also strengthened their support, such as through the African Development Bank’s Gender Plan of Action (GPOA) and the World Bank’s three year road map for gender mainstreaming (2011–2013), which will build on previous lessons learned.

What results have been achieved?

Education: The majority of African countries are on course to achieve the MDG primary enrolment and gender parity targets in education: 10 out of 27 countries in sub-Saharan Africa and all North African countries have already reached parity. Girl dropout rates remain high, especially in rural areas. This challenge also lies at secondary and tertiary levels, where African governments are under-investing (see also Education).
Health: Much has been done to scale up prevention and treatment, but the disproportionate impact on women remains a major challenge (see also Health). Maternal health in sub-Saharan Africa has improved, with maternal deaths per 100,000 live births falling by 26% between 1980 and 2008. The rate, however, remains high compared to North Africa and the rest of the world. Major gains have been made in increasing skilled attendance at birth in Northern Africa. Sub-Saharan Africa has lagged behind, with births attended by a skilled health professional averaging just 46% in 2009, against 42% a decade earlier.
Economic participation: 36% of the sub-Saharan African population in waged employment are women. In North Africa  the proportion (outside agriculture) is less than 20%. Women represent half of the agricultural labour force in Africa. Despite their essential contribution, women in Africa have less access than men to productive resources, including land, livestock, labour, education, extension and financial services, and technology. On a more positive trend, the number of African women in legislative, senior or managerial jobs has increased steadily to reach 24.8%, compared  to an estimated 28% global average.
Political representation:  In 2011, sub-Saharan Africa had reached 20% female participation in parliamentary representation, slightly above the world average of 19%. North Africa increased to 12%, up from only 3% in 2000. Six countries have surpassed 30% or higher representation in parliaments, mainly due to constitutional quotas and progressive laws. Two of the top three global performers are African, with percentages of women in decision-making positions exceeding 40%. Increased representation of women in decision-making at local government levels is also reported in a number of countries. However, the number of women in parliament has recently declined in some countries, indicating that more needs to be done to ensure equitable political representation.

What are the future priority actions?

Africa:
• Expedite measures to enhance access to the African Fund for Women;
• Harmonize all programmes that promote health and well being of women and girls including strengthening of anti-retroviral access programmes;
• Continued actions to promote parity in politics and decision-making, including concrete moves towards constitutional provisions.

Development partners
Deliver on Busan commitments to:
• help collect and make full use of data disaggregated by sex;
• integrate targets for gender women’s empowerment in accountability mechanisms;
• promote gender parity in all aspects of development programmes.