A photo gallery on gender Issues

In many African countries, women do most of the farm work --planting, weeding, harvesting crops, tending livestock. They also spend long hours fetching water, collecting firewood, preparing meals and caring for children and sick relatives, making their typical day longer than men's. Adding to their burden, women are increasingly left as the sole caretakers when husbands migrate to cities in search of work, are caught up in conflict or die from AIDS or other disease. Yet African women have less access than men to assets they could use to improve their lives. They are often not able to own or inherit land, and they have more limited access to credit, markets and technology. Women often have fewer legal rights than men, and they have little or no say in decisions that affect their lives.

Women and War: Men are more likely to be involved in direct combat, but women are more affected by violence and economic instability during armed conflict. Women constitute 60-80 percent of displaced persons in Africa and 80 percent of the refugees. Women play no part in decisions leading to conflicts, but when conflicts occur they overburden women with the responsibility of caring, in addition to the wounded, to other vulnerable groups in society such as children and the aged. Disproportionately, women also become victims. Over the past decade, 30 armed conflicts broke out in Africa: 14 countries were affected in 1996 alone, accounting for more than half of the world war-related deaths, resulting also in more than 8 million refugees, returnees and displaced persons.

Women and Work: Gender inequality slows economic growth and increases the difficulty of overcoming poverty. Women's empowerment is especially important for determining a country's demographic trends -- trends that affect its economic success and environmental sustainability. Women make up 31 per cent of the official labour force in developing countries. In most countries, women work approximately twice the unpaid time men do. African women earn on average about three-fourths the pay of males for the same work.

Women and Health: Health is key to sustained peace and prosperity in Africa. Child and maternal death rates are among the worst in the world, with most children being delivered at home. Three-quarters of all Africans between the ages of 15 and 24 who are HIV-positive are women. That astonishing figure just released by UNAIDS, highlights the growing concern of international agencies, African governments and AIDS activists over the "gendered impact of AIDS in Africa". It also has spurred the beginnings of a campaign to help young African women counter the disease. The threat from HIV/AIDS grows each year while millions are in danger of disease epidemics, such as malaria. Some African countries are also prone to natural disasters, the latest being the Sudan drought.

Women and Education: Women are less likely than men to get an education. Girls are often kept out of school to help in the home, or because families with little money believe a boy's education is a better investment. In some cultures it may not be acceptable that tehy mix with boys, or leave their village. In sub-Saharan Africa, 20 per cent fewer girls enrol in primary school than boys, and the numbers have barely changed since 1990. In addition, girls may drop out early because they marry young. Achieving universal primary education for all girls and boys by 2015 is one of the Millennium Development Goals. While some regions are on track to reach that goal, sub-Saharan Africa lags behind. When a woman is educated, her children tend to be better fed and healthier.

The imbalance between the essential roles of women and their limited opportunities in Africa is undermining efforts to reduce poverty. A major challenge is to modify customary views on gender roles. This will require support of men. When men realize that greater equality translates into greater prosperity for all, they may become part of the solution.

Information Source: Africa Renewal publication. To view previous issues of this publication click here.

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