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Conference Program: Gender and Growth Gaps in Sub-Saharan Africa

The African Center for Economic Transformation (ACET), the Economic Growth Center (EGC), and Inclusion Economics at Yale University, in partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, held an in-person research and policy workshop on June 13, 2024, that spotlighted current policy needs and research insights on the drivers and consequences of gender gaps in the economy in twenty-first century sub-Saharan Africa.

Date
Jun 13, 2024

Progress on gender equality amidst structural transformation has been remarkably uneven around the world. Gender gaps in labor force participation are small in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), and yet gender gaps in wages are very large in the region. Across SSA, women are overrepresented in informal employment, with 90% of women employed informally compared to 84% of men; excluding agriculture the figures for SSA are 82% of women in informal employment compared to 73% of men. As the youngest region, sub-Saharan Africa also faces significant challenges in enabling its young women to pursue opportunities for human capital development and career advancement alongside their male peers. Shocks such as Covid-19 and climate breakdowns have also imposed a heavy cost on the region, with gendered implications. 

The Yale Economic Growth Center (EGC) and Yale Inclusion Economics (YIE) partnered with the African Center for Economic Transformation (ACET) to conduct a one-day in-person policy dialogue that explored research-based directions for policy and practice on reducing gender gaps in a variety of labor market indicators and improving talent allocation in sub-Saharan Africa as countries embark on diverse growth strategies. The event drew both on ACET’s forthcoming gender inequality-focused 2024 African Transformation Report (ATR), and on EGC and YIE’s ongoing research under the Gender and Growth Gaps project.

Agenda

Opening Address and Keynote Dialogue

The opening address covered ACET’s “Growth with DEPTH” framework (Diversification, Export competitiveness, Productivity increases, Technological upgrading, and Human well-being), which described ACET’s strategic approach to catalyzing Africa’s economic transformation. One of the goals of ACET's fourth African Transformation Report (ATR4) is to explore the relationship between DEPTH and gender across various sectors of the economy – including manufacturing and industry – and the role of the green transition in this process.

Opening Address

  • Mavis Owusu-Gyamfi (African Center for Economic Transformation)
    • Growth with DEPTH and gender inequality in Africa

Keynote Dialogue

Gender gaps in labor markets in sub-Saharan Africa: Why these gaps matter for society and the economy

Featuring senior policymakers, an in-person keynote dialogue addressed the importance of closing gender gaps in labor markets in sub-Saharan Africa.

  • Hon. Nana Oye Bampoe Addo (former Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Government of Ghana)
  • Hon. Williametta Saydee-Tarr (former Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Government of Liberia)

Session 1

Macroeconomic Growth Strategies and Gender Gaps in Labor Markets 

In this session, the Yale Economic Growth Center (EGC) began by presenting research with a global and regional focus drawing from a white paper on “Gender and Growth Gaps.” This presentation discussed how gender gaps in labor market indicators shift alongside growth and economic transformation. The African Center for Economic Transformation then presented findings from a background paper that is part of their forthcoming gender inequality-focused flagship publication, the African Transformation Report. A panel discussion discussed the findings and their implications.

Research Presentations
Panel

Session 2

Gender and Power: From the Household to Institutional Structures 

From lack of representation in governance and decision-making bodies to societal norms that dictate women’s agency in public spaces, the workplace, the market, and the home, embedded power structures have a critical influence on women’s socio-economic well-being. In this session, ACET presented a background paper from the African Transformation Report 2024 and Yale EGC presented ongoing research on measuring intra-household bargaining power, gender beliefs and norms. The research presentations were followed by a panel discussion on how unequal institutional structures and power dynamics can be measured and changed. 

Research Presentations
Panel

Session 3

The Rise of the Digital Economy 

From mobile money to digital agricultural extension to platform work, digital technology has the opportunity to provide new jobs, reduce information frictions, and more. However, research shows that it has differential effects on women and men in ways that are not widely understood. This session explored the gender dynamics of digital technology, including the impacts on women and men of increased phone ownership, access to digital financial, agricultural extension, and other services, platform work, and other uses of digital technology.

Research Presentations
Panel
  • Chris Ssali (MTN Lonestar, Liberia) 
  • Roselyn Adadzewa Otoo (Retail Finance Distribution (ReFinD) Research Initiative, University of Ghana)
  • Chioma Agogo (M-KOPA, Ghana) 
  • Maty Konte (International Finance Corporation, World Bank)
    • Access slides shared by Maty Konte via this link
  • Moderator: Iyabo Olanrele (Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research)

Parallel Breakout Sessions

Gender and Climate Adaptation Challenges

This parallel session aimed to probe the interaction between climate change on the one hand, and structural transformation and urbanization on the other, and how this affects gender inequalities. This session looked at the impact of extreme weather events on the safety, incomes and livelihoods of women and men, and discussed the implications of green, clean, service-led growth for gender equality.

Session co-leads 
  • John Asafu-Adjaye (African Center for Economic Transformation)
  • Adelina Mensah (University of Ghana)

Measurement of Gender Gaps, Norms, and Economic Agency

Accurate measurement is vital to have a clear and compelling picture of how individuals are faring in the economy and society. This session discussed the quality and availability of data related to a variety of key indicators discussed in the EGC white paper, the data gaps identified by ACET, and how we measure and report on gender gaps and measures of women’s social and economic agency (beliefs, norms, etc.) and outcomes (time use, labor force participation, labor supply, economic returns). The session sought to draw out clarity on the top challenges when it comes to measuring gender gaps and the drivers of gender gaps in labor markets in sub-Saharan Africa, and key recommendations for action towards filling these gaps and generating high-quality and high-frequency data for research and policy use in this domain.

Session co-lead
  • Theophiline Bose-Duker (African Center for Economic Transformation)

Gender, Youth, and Jobs in a Digital Age

Africa is the youngest continent, and youth are entering an increasingly digital economy. What is the landscape of economic opportunities driven by digital capabilities? This parallel session explored how we can design policies that capture the potential of the youth bulge to promote economic growth while mitigating underemployment and unemployment as well as how policymakers can pro-actively address gendered digital barriers and enable young women to pursue these opportunities equally.

Session lead
  • Monica Lambon-Quayefio (University of Ghana)

Co-Organizers & Funders:

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