Justine Judith Lekogo : «The real issue is not to make women dynamic, but productive»

Justine Judith Lekogo, economist, entrepreneur and former Minister of Economy and Finance in Gabon, discusses the challenges of women’s empowerment in Africa. 

In Africa, women are very dynamic and active, but not economically autonomous. Why ?

Women’s empowerment remains a key driver for Africa’s transformation. Although women in Africa are very dynamic economic agents, more than anywhere else in the world, unfortunately, across the continent, they face a series of barriers which impede them to realize their full potential, ranging from restrictive cultural practices and discriminatory laws to highly segmented labour markets. These African women, who constitute the core of the agricultural workforce and own the majority of informal sector enterprises, are generally, if not the majority, in low value-added occupations with insignificant economic profitability. If these enterprises could become more productive, they could be engines of inclusive growth. Today, according to several economic studies, the challenge is not to encourage African women to be more dynamic economically. They are already very active in this sector. The real challenge is to make them more productive, in order to generate more income for themselves and their households, and to contribute not only to inclusive growth, but also to their economic empowerment.

What are the keys to promoting the economic inclusion of African women, especially in the current context of health crisis?

Women make up the majority of the workforce in the hardest-hit sectors by the covid 19 pandemic, such as education, retail, tourism, hospitality and domestic services. It is therefore essential to focus on women in order to avoid a contraction of their opportunities. There is a strong need to strengthen national systems and to ensure that they are designed in an inclusive and equitable manner. Economic inclusion can lead to financial inclusion and vice versa, gender dynamics hold women back in both aspects. This must change. Commercial banks often focus on men and formal businesses, neglecting women who constitute a large and growing segment of informal economy. Financial inclusion is not an end in itself. Rather, it is a means to improve livelihoods and fostering the economic empowerment of women, especially during this time of health crisis. Policymakers and experts must focus on measures, economic policies, services and financial products that promote economic opportunities and the empowerment of women. Governments must put in place strategies to remove barriers that prevent women from using and accessing financial services. Women’s use of financial services will only increase if they meet their needs and address gender-based constraints. 

In terms of women’s entrepreneurship, doesn’t microcredit adopted in several African countries accentuate inequalities between men and women in terms of access to funds?

In Africa, microcredit often targets women, sometimes exclusively. Women represent nearly 80% of the poorest clients benefiting from microcredit services. Therefore, from a public policy point of view, it is important to assist women in finding a loan. Unfortunately, and despite the fact that recovery rates are higher for women, it has been found that as microfinance institutions move into the market in search of better returns, or even as they turn into commercial banks, the percentage of women among customers is declining. This further creates inequalities between men and women in terms of access to finance. Therefore, focusing on women to provide them with loans must be emphasised, while at the same time strengthening the strategies of microcredit institutions to reach women. Changes in access to finance have implications on the distribution of working time between men and women in the same household and between activities that generate different incomes. Women’s entrepreneurship is also about money. For women to enter business, adequate funding is required. And to ensure that the funds benefit everyone equally and fairly, targeted efforts are necessary. Given that inclusive development is expensive, and that project planning and funding often overlook women’s specific needs, it is time to invest in gender equality and dedicate a good proportion of aid to women’s specific needs. Women around the world need priority, targeted and consistent investments and resources. For decades, women’s empowerment has suffered from a chronic lack of investment, which has hampered the advancement of women’s rights and gender equality.