GDI values by sub-region

Source: Computed by the AfHDR Team from data in UNDP, 2015.

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.0

All AfricaNorth AfricaSouthern AfricaEast AfricaWest AfricaCentral Africa

Female HDI

Female/male HDI

Male HDI

Gender parity in primary school enrolment

Source: UN Statistical Database, accessed 1 June 2016.

Human development progress and trends

Human development in Africa is rising and low human development countries are catching up, despite persisting inequality within countries and between women and men.

17 African countries across the 5 regions have attained medium and high human development – Southern Africa (6), North Africa (5), Central Africa (4), West Africa (2), and East Africa (5).

Women on average achieve 87% of the human development outcome of males mainly due to less command over economic resources but also due to poorer health and education outcomes.

Women’s health, education and security

The gender gap in primary education has closed, some progress on secondary and tertiary.

However, women and girls in Africa are at risk from premature deaths. Between 1990 and 2008, there were an additional 540 million premature deaths for girls and women under 60 – most occurring for women aged between 15 and 49.

The most at-risk women are those of child bearing age. If adolescent births fall by 10%, women’s life expectancy will rise by 9 months and adult female mortality rate will fall by 11%.

Seychelles AlgeriaLibyaTunisia

Very high or high human development

GhanaCabo Verde

BotswanaNamibiaSouth Africa

EgyptMorocco

GabonRepublic of the CongoEquatorial Guinea

Medium human development

KenyaTanzaniaComorosRwandaUgandaSudan

DjiboutiSouth SudanEthiopiaBurundiEritrea

SwazilandLesothoZimbabweMalawiMozambiqueAngola

Mauritania Democratic Republic of CongoChadCentral African RepublicMadagascarCameroon

Low human developmentNigeriaTogoBeninSenegalCôte d’IvoireThe Gambia

LiberiaGuinea-BissauMaliSierra LeoneGuineaBurkina FasoNiger

Mauritius

ZambiaSao Tome and Principe

Human development levels in AfricaAugust 2016

FACT SHEET: Africa Human Development Report 2016

Accelerating gender equality and women’s empowerment in Africa

Child marriage prevalence by Africa sub-region

>70%

40-49%

21-39%

11-20%

1-10%

50-60%

Northern Western Central Eastern Southern

Algeria

3

Egypt

17

Liberia

36

Morocco

16

Tunisia

2

Sudan

33

Benin

32

BurkinaFaso

52

Niger

76

Ghana

21

Guinea

52

Togo

22

Mali

55

Mauritania

34

Nigeria

43

Senegal

32

SierraLeone

39

Guinea-

Bissau

22

Burundi

20

Djibouti

5

Madagascar

41

Zambia

31

Zimbabw

e

34

Tanzania

37

Eritrea

41

Ethiopia

41

Somalia

45

Uganda

40

Malaw

i

46

Rwanda

8

SouthSudan

52

Mozam

bique

48

Kenya

23

Cape Verde

18

Côted’Ivoire

33

Lesotho

19

Nam

ibia

7

Swaziland

7

SouthA

frica

6

Cameroon

38

CAR

68

Chad

68

Congo (Rep. of the)

33

Congo (Dem

. Rep. of the)

37

STP

34

Gabon

22

The Gam

bia

30

EquatorialG

uinea

37

>70%

50-60%

40-49%

21-39%

11-20%

1-10%

0.6

0.7

0.8

0.9

1.0

1.1

Africa

West

Southern

North

East

Central

West AfricaEast AfricaCentral AfricaAfrica

1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2013

North Africa Southern Africa

Women and work

More African women in the workplace is driving growth – up to 61% of women participate in labour force.

There are more women working and Africa’s labour gender gap is closing. Yet more women in labour market is not leading to well-paying jobs and productive enterprises for women.

In sub-Saharan Africa, the average unadjusted gender pay gap is estimated at 30 percent. Thus, for every $1 earned by men in manufacturing, services and trade, women earn 70 cents.

Results confirm that Africa is missing its full growth potential because a sizeable portion of its growth reserve – women – is not fully utilized.

The estimated total annual economic losses due to gender gaps in labour market average $ 95 billion per year since 2010 in Sub-Saharan Africa and could be as high as US$105 billion (2014), i.e. 6% of GDP.

Women, politics and leadership

4 African countries in the top 10 globally – highest levels of women representation in parliament (Rwanda, Seychelles, Senegal, SA). And 16 countries surpassed the 30% threshold of representation in national Parliament.

Women leaders are more visible in parliament yet political structures still proscribe their full potential to shape the national and local political and policy agenda as there is only between 5 and 25% representation in senior positions in political parties in 12 countries.

Female and male led enterprises are equally productive yet the female led enterprises are still in the minority with only 7-30% African firms led by a woman.

Source: Computed by AfHDR Team.

26.13

23.38

24.31

30.16

36.38

42.31

48.68

56.54

64.54

61.38

81.89

91.52

95.66

$104.75

0.00

20.00

40.00

60.00

80.00

100.00

120.00

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 20 11 2012 2013

Bill

ion

$

100.48

GDP Losses due to gender gap. In labour market in sub-Saharan Africa (Billion $)

Percentage of firms with female top managers

Women representation in lower houses of parliament in Africa (%)

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%

ComorosNigeria

SwazilandBenin

Rep. of the CongoMali

Dem. Rep. of the CongoCote d'IvoireThe Gambia

Burkina FasoBotswana

GhanaLiberia

MauritiusSierra Leone

ZambiaDjibouti

NigerGuinea-Bissau

SomaliaGabon

ChadLibya

MalawiMorocco

TogoKenya

MadagascarCabo Verde

EritreaGuinea

Equatorial GuineaLesotho

MauritaniaSouth Sudan

SudanCameroon

TunisiaZimbabwe

AlgeriaUganda

TanzaniaBurundiAngola

EthiopiaMozambique

NamibiaSouth Africa

SenegalSeychelles

Rwanda

Beijing Platform for Action goal: 30%

wom

en in Parliament

64%44%

43%42%

41%40%39%

37%36%36%

35%32%32%

31%31%31%

27%25%25%24%

22%22%

21%21%

20%18%

17%17%16%15%

14%14%14%13%13%13%

12%12%11%11%

10%9%9%9%9%9%

7%7%

6%6%

3%

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Suda

n (2

014)

Mor

occo

(201

3)Et

hiop

ia (2

015)

Mau

ritan

ia (2

014)

Chad

(200

9)Si

erra

Leo

ne (2

009)

Eritr

ea (2

009)

Tuni

sia

(201

3)So

uth

Suda

n (2

014)

Cam

eroo

n (2

009)

Dem

. Rep

. of t

he C

ongo

(201

3)Bu

rkin

a Fa

so (2

009)

Nig

er (2

009)

Gabo

n (2

009)

Cent

ral A

frica

n Re

publ

ic (2

011)

Keny

a (2

013)

Ango

la (2

010)

Nig

eria

(201

4)Ta

nzan

ia (2

013)

Sene

gal (

2014

)Dj

ibou

ti (2

013)

Mal

awi (

2014

)Su

b-Sa

hara

n Af

rica

Ghan

a (2

013)

Togo

(200

9)Bu

rund

i (20

14)

Bots

wan

a (2

010)

Cabo

Ver

de (2

009)

Rep.

of t

he C

ongo

(200

9)Zi

mba

bwe

(201

1)Rw

anda

(201

1)M

ali (

2010

)Le

soth

o (2

009)

Zam

bia

(201

3)Be

nin

(200

9)N

amib

ia (2

014)

Mad

agas

car (

2013

)Li

beria

(200

9)

Source: Compiled by the AfHDR Team from World Bank, 2015b.

Policy and institutional conduits for gender equality

Strategic pathways for addressing gender inequality

Source: Adapted from WHO, 2015.

ECONOMIC ACCESS

Land and landed propertiesFinancial serviesLabour markets

Technology

HOUSEHOLD CONTROL

Task and resource allocations

Fertility and marriage decisions

SOCIETAL LEVERAGE

Civic and political participation

Expanded leadership in organizations

POLICIES AND INSTITUTIONS FOR GENDER EQUALITY

Legal and social forms

African countries have adopted international and regional frameworks on human and women’s rights but there is a significant gap between intention and practice. The Gambia and Tanzania banned early marriage this year. A more concerted effort is needed to bring many more countries into alignment.

Legal instruments are necessary but not sufficient in the face of parallel systems of customary law.

Negative social institutions and norms create a stumbling block for advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment.

Effective institutional responses for gender equality

An effective institutional response must first ensure that gender equality considerations are at the heart of policy and public expenditure decisions. This must be complemented by more effective gender-focused institutions that work with all actors to facilitate the process.

An agenda for action

Use gender equality as the organizing policy lens for all development planning and implementation.

Deploy strong leadership and accountability to directly tackle destructive norms.

Make critical choices and investments to give priority to gender equality.

Create adaptive national institutional capacities and representative institutions.

Use gender disaggregated data and gender responsiveanalysis for improved decision-making.

Promote alliances including regionaland South-South cooperation in designing and implementinggender-focused policies and initiatives.

Use gender equality as the organizing policy lens for all development planning and implementation.

Deploy strong leadership and accountability to directly tackle destructive norms.

Make critical choices and investments to give priority to gender equality.

Create adaptive national institutional capacities and representative institutions.

Use gender disaggregated data and gender responsiveanalysis for improved decision-making.

Promote alliances including regionaland South-South cooperation in designing and implementinggender-focused policies and initiatives.

Agenda for action

Discrimination against women

Source: Designed by the AfHDR Team from Social Institutions and Gender Index (OECD, 2014). Note: Discriminatory family code · restricted physical integrity · son bias restricted resources and assets · restricted civil liberties

Very low

Low

Medium

High

Very high Northern Western Central Eastern Southern

Liberia

.38

Benin

.28

BurkinaFaso

.28

Niger

.44

Ghana

.30

Guinea

.32

Mali

.52

Nigeria

.39

SierraLeone

.37

Guinea-

Bissau

.21

Ethiopia

.24

Madagascar

.10

Somalia

.46

Zambia

.45

Tanzania

.25

Uganda

.22

Malaw

i

.21A

ngola .17

Egypt

.43

Morocco

.11

Sudan

.52

Mauritania

.39

Tunisia

.20

Togo

.19

Senegal

.20

Burundi

.17

Zimbabw

e

.14

Rwanda

.13

Mozam

bique

.14

Kenya

.22

Côted’Ivoire

.25

Lesotho

.09

Nam

ibia

.12

Swaziland

.21

Cameroon

.28

CAR

.33

Chad

.47

.20

.43

Gabon

.40

The Gam

bia

.52

Rwanda

.13

SouthA

frica

.05

Congo (Rep. of the)

Congo (Dem

. Rep. of the)

ACHIEVINGGENDER

EQUALITY

Supporting the adoption of legal reforms, policies and programmes to advance women’s economic empowerment.

Supporting national capacities to promote and in- crease the participation and leadership of women in decision-making in the home, the economy and society.

Supporting capacity to implement multi-sectoral approaches to mitigate the impacts of discriminatory health and education practice.

Supporting women to gain access to ownership and management of environmental resources.

Source: Adapted from Changing with the World: UNDP Strategic Plan 2014-2017. New York.