Economic empowerment

Women in Southern Africa constitute slightly more than half of the region’s population, yet key economic indicators show that they make up the majority of those living in poverty and remain underrepresented in decision-making. Women also comprise a majority of the region’s landless, underpaid and unemployed. The Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Post-2015 agenda, guided by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) identifies women’s economic empowerment as a key driver to achieving “planet 50-50 by 2030,” which is the goal of UN Women’s “Step it Up” campaign, along with the attainment of the targets of the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development (“the Protocol”).

The adoption of the Industrialisation Strategy in 2015 and a revised SADC Protocol in 2016 by SADC leaders has set in motion a series of bold moves aimed at transforming the public and private sector environments and the world of work they create for women. Additionally, these initiatives pave the way for these sectors to be spaces where women have equal opportunities to find productive and fulfilling work.

In October 2017 the The African Women’s Development & Communication Network (FEMNET), in partnership with the Center for Women’s Global Leadership at Rutgers University (CWGL), Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa (OSISA), Christian Aid and UN Women are hosting the first ever African Feminist Macroeconomics Academy (AFMA). Read more