{"id":9349,"date":"2022-09-08T10:28:42","date_gmt":"2022-09-08T09:28:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.foretiafoundation.org\/events\/womens-economic-empowerment-in-sub-saharan-africa-where-are-we-in-2021\/"},"modified":"2022-09-08T10:28:42","modified_gmt":"2022-09-08T09:28:42","slug":"womens-economic-empowerment-in-sub-saharan-africa-where-are-we-in-2021","status":"publish","type":"mec-events","link":"https:\/\/www.foretiafoundation.org\/staging\/event\/womens-economic-empowerment-in-sub-saharan-africa-where-are-we-in-2021\/","title":{"rendered":"Women\u2019s Economic Empowerment in Sub-Saharan Africa: Where are we in 2021?"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Women\u2019s Economic Empowerment in Sub-Saharan Africa: Where are we in 2021?<\/strong>
\n<\/span>A panel discussion<\/span><\/p>\n

Date<\/strong>: March 18, 2021 – Venue:<\/strong> Online (Zoom)<\/span><\/p>\n

Time<\/strong>: 9:00am \u2013 10:00am EST (2:00pm \u2013 3:00pm GMT) (3:00pm – 4:00pm WAT)<\/span><\/p>\n

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Overview<\/strong>
\n<\/span>Women\u2019s economic empowerment is widely recognized by governments, international development institutions, and businesses as essential for human progress, economic development, and business success. This is why gender equality and women\u2019s economic empowerment are critical priorities in the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda five (<\/span>1<\/span>). In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), women face deeply rooted obstacles to achieving their potential at work and other parts of life. Not only does persistent gender inequality affect women, but it also impedes economic and social progress in the region. The African Development Bank has stated that \u201celiminating gender inequality and empowering women could raise the productive potential of one billion Africans, delivering a huge boost to the continent\u2019s development potential.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

In SSA, women are already very active participants in the economy. According to the African Development Bank\u2019s inaugural African Gender Equity Index Report, women \u201care more active as economic agents in Africa than anywhere else in the world.\u201d The report notes that women perform most agricultural activities, own a third of all firms, and comprise <\/span>70 percent <\/span>of employees in some countries. Women are present in every part of SSA value chains\u2014as producers and business owners, executives and employees, distributors, and consumers. Despite these contributions, women face significant economic challenges in SSA. While most African women work, they still face financial exclusion, as their jobs are underpaid, undervalued, and mostly in the informal sector.<\/span><\/p>\n

Accelerating progress on women\u2019s economic empowerment in this decade and many decades to come will not be easy. The challenges are complex and tackling them will require significant commitment and investment by all sectors of society. It is on this backdrop that the Nkafu Policy Institute of the Denis and Lenora Foretia Foundation is organizing this discussion to:<\/span><\/p>\n