The UN Development Programme (UNDP) says there is high economic loss, estimated at 105 billion dollars annually in sub-Sahara Africa when women are not integrated in their national economies.

This is contained in the 2016 Africa Human Development Report titled “Accelerating Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment in Africa” inaugurated at the ongoing 3-day African Economic Conference in Abuja.

The report was jointly inaugurated by Abdoulaye Mar Dieye, UN Assistant Secretary-General and UNDP Africa Director and some federal government officials. The report analysed the political, economic and social drivers that hamper African women’s advancement and proposes policies and concrete actions to close the gender gap.

According to the report, the estimated total annual economic losses due to gender gaps between 2010 and 2014 could exceed 90 billion dollars in sub-Saharan Africa, peaking at 105 billion dollars in 2014.

“These results confirm that Africa is missing its full growth potential because a sizeable portion of its growth reserve-women- is not fully utilised.”

The report stated a key determinant of gender equality was defined by women in workplace and economic decision. It said that significant economic and workplace disparities between men and women continued to be the norm rather than the exception in many Africanw countries.

“These inequalities are found across Africa in access to economic assets, participation in the workplace, entrepreneurship opportunities, the use of and benefits from natural resources and the environment.” The report said that women were more likely to be found in vulnerable employment with weak regulation and limited social protection.

It said this was due to difference in education and the mismatch between women’s skills and those demanded by labour.

“This in turn pushes women into the informal economy. It is estimated, using survey data for 2004 to 2010 that the share of non-agricultural informal employment in Sub-Sahara Africa is about 66 per cent of all female employment. Increased female participation in the labour market has not meant increased opportunities in high paying jobs or enterprises. A gender wage gap outside agriculture is pervasive across all labour markets in Sub-Saharan Africa, where, on average, the unadjusted gender pay gap is estimated at 30 per cent.”

Thus, the report stated that every one dollar earned by men in manufacturing, services and trade, women earn 70 cents. It said that gaps in earning between women and men were influenced by parameters such as age, occupation type, education, parenthood and marriage. The report stated that because of social norms and belief assign African women and girls the primary responsibility for care and domestic work.

“Women, on average, spend twice as much time as men on domestic work-child and elderly care, cooking, cleaning, and fetching water and wood. In Sub-Saharan African, 71 per cent of burden of collecting water for households falls on women and girls,”

The report further stated that as the economic status of women improves, so does that of the entire families – a major factor in reducing the blight of inter-generational poverty and low human development.

“For example, ownership or title to land represents an important source of equity and collateral for women in obtaining credit and accessing other forms of productive assets. Lack of access to land deprives Africa women of an important economic tool for improving their livelihoods,” it stated. In addition, the report noted that achieving gender equality was not achieved by having gender-specific ministries or women projects or programmes, but that they could be important.

It said it could be achieved by tackling gender equality as a wide-ranging effort across multiple sectors that engage all segments of society. The report further stated that accelerating gender equality would entail highly collaborative efforts involving local, national and international actors.