This seminar is the third in a series on African inequalities as discussed in the book Inequalities in sub-Saharan Africa: Multidimensional perspectives and future challenges published in early 2025. The publication spans many dimensions of socio-economic inequalities and also includes chapters on policies and ways to address inequalities in the context of Africa. The book was edited by Anda David, Murray Leibbrandt, Vimal Ranchhod, and Rawane Yasser. 

Gender inequality is pervasive across the world. In Africa, substantial progress has been made towards achieving gender equality in primary education, for example, whilst there has been retrogression in recent years in the economic sphere. 
 

This presentation examines evidence on gender inequality in education, health, the labour market, unpaid care work, and assets in Africa.

The talk is based on a chapter co-authored by Abena D. Oduro, Serge Rabier, Jacqueline Mosomi, and Rawane Yasser. They discuss some of the reasons why gender inequality exists and considers some policy solutions. 

The examination of the evidence yields four conclusions. First, gender inequality in one dimension can have positive or negative domino effects on other dimensions. Second, women are subject to multiple intersecting disadvantages. Third, female disadvantage is not always the norm and, lastly, adequate attention must be paid to the role of gender norms and stereotypes in perpetuating gender inequality. 

About the speaker

Abena D. Oduro is an Associate Professor in the Department of Economics, University of Ghana, and a member of ACEIR's Ghana research node. She is a former President of the International Association for Feminist Economics (IAFFE) and was the Conference Chair for IAFFE's 2023 conference hosted by ACEIR's hub at the University of Cape Town.  She has published widely in development economics using survey data to analyse issues of assets, wealth, remittances and education using a gender lens.