Women are an untapped opportunity, a sure bet for Africa’s ride to prosperity

It is hard not to be inspired by the widely recognised economic growth story of Africa: more than a decade of robust growth for a region that has become a credible destination for investment and has rebounded faster than most other regions of the world from the global financial crisis.

International Women’s Day celebrated on Tuesday this week reminds us all not only of the sacrifices and resilience of African girls and women, but of the missed opportunities to tackle the gender-related obstacles that keep 50 per cent of Africa’s population out of the most vibrant economic sectors on the continent.

In Africa, the feminisation of poverty still remains acute.

One in 20 girls born today in Angola, Mozambique, Liberia and Sierra Leone will die in childbirth.

An African woman is 25 times more likely to die during labour than a European woman.

Girls still face genital mutilation in 28 African countries.

More than 800,000 Africans, most of them female, are victims of human trafficking.

Three young women are infected with HIV/Aids for every young man in Africa.

The African woman, however, is also Africa’s face of hope, strength and opportunity.

The rate of female entrepreneurship is higher in Africa than in any other region of the world.

An African country – Rwanda – boosts the highest female representation in parliament.

Significant strides

Significant strides have been made on the path towards gender equity, but great challenges remain.

The ratio of girls to boys in secondary school has barely moved in the last 18 years — from 76 girls per 100 boys to 79.

The road to achieving the Millennium Development Goals in Africa can only be built on a gender inclusive agenda, unleashing the productive power of women.