Presenting Its Report On Gender Equality At the 2016 African Economic Conference, UNDP Stresses That Women's Empowerment Key to Transforming the Continent's Agriculture

female farmer

According to a key finding in the United Nations Development Programme’s 2016 Africa Human Development Report (AfHDR) – Accelerating Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment in Africa – gender inequality costs Sub-Saharan Africa about US $95 billion a year and hampers the continent’s efforts for inclusive human development and economic growth.

The report, which was launched globally on August 28, 2016 in Nairobi, Kenya, on the margins of the 6^th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD VI), was presented on Monday, December 5, 2016 at a special event held on the first day of the 2016 African Economic Conference (AEC) in Abuja, Nigeria.

The launch ceremony was preceded by a panel discussion moderated by UNDP Africa Chief Economist Ayodele Odusola. Panelists included Abdoulaye Mar Dieye, UNDP Assistant Administrator and Regional Director for Africa; Edward Kallon, UNDP Resident Coordinator and Resident Representative in Nigeria (incoming); Angela Lusigi, UNDP Africa Strategic Advisor; Tunde Lawal, Director in Nigeria’s Ministry of Budget and National Planning; Adhi Fatungai, UN Women Deputy Director; and Barbara Barungi, African Development Bank Lead Economist.

The report’s findings which make gender equality an economic and development issue are of significant relevance to the ongoing AEC, which is themed Feeding Africa: Towards Agro-Allied Industrialization for Inclusive Growth.

According to UNDP Africa, agricultural transformation will require reforms that guarantee equal and sustainable access to land and protect the rights of marginalized women in Africa.

It also indicates that African women hold 66 percent of all jobs in the non-agricultural informal sector, spend 40 billion hours a year collecting water, yet only make 70 cents for each dollar made by men.

Speaking to the urgency of fully engaging and empowering African women, Abdoulaye Mar Dieye said, “The continent continues to lose out in both economic and development terms as long as the potential of women remains untapped.”

Speaking to Nigeria’s efforts to advance gender equality, UNDP Resident Representative Kallon added, “To advance women development, we need to get women not to only participate actively in productive activities but also to get fair reward for their labour.”

Angela Lusigi, a leading contributor to the report, detailed its policy recommendations, which call for, among other things, the adoption of legal reforms, policies and programmes to advance women’s economic empowerment, and promoting their access to ownership and management of assets and resources.

“There is urgent need to engage more women in decision making at all levels if the continent is to realize its full potential,” said Lusigi.

The report also advocates stronger alliances among governments, private sector, civil society and development partners and the creation of an African Women Investment Bank and Women Investment Windows in national and regional development banks.