Levels of gender inequality in the Sahel and West Africa are among the highest in the world. Multiple interconnected crises - security, health and food – exacerbate gender inequalities and heighten risks for women and girls. In this context, gender is an important transversal theme across the SWAC’s programme of work. The gender dimensions of food security, political violence and climate change reveal significant challenges, but they also show how women can inspire progress, generate growth and be a source of transformative change.

Panel discussion: Promoting positive gender norms in Africa: Effective approaches for development partners, 10^th March 4pm - 5.30pm

Co-organised by SWAC, the OECD Development Centre and the Development Co-operation Directorate.

Objectives:

• Discuss the role of development partners in addressing the underlying drivers of gender inequality and promoting transformative policy making and development programming
• Identify how development partners can further engage in accelerating social change, especially in terms of more and better financing for gender equality
• Propose policy actions to address challenges to gender inequality from a financing perspective 

Agenda

SWAC and the OECD Development Centre, in collaboration with the Austrian Development Agency, co-organised two policy dialogues with grassroots organisations and policy makers, on addressing social institutions governing women and men’s behaviour to enhance gender equality.

Formal and informal laws, social norms and practices constitute structural barriers that women and girls face throughout their lifetime. Despite some progress in recent years, women in West Africa still face gender-based discrimination across all spheres of life.

Background paper 

Concept note

Agenda

During the last decade, conflict has become more violent and widespread in West Africa with increasing numbers of civilian casualties, particularly in Central Sahel and Nigeria. This DevTalks aimed to contribute to a process of mutual learning and dialogue to inspire more gender-focused responses to conflict in West Africa and draw on lessons learned.

Speakers highlighted the importance of dialogue and action at local and community levels to:

• initiate change in social norms;
• empower and support women who have experienced violent extremism and wish to reintegrate society;
• build more inclusive peace and mediation processes; and
• re-build trust between communities and security forces.

Concept note

Video

Summary

Women play a pivotal role in a wide range of activities supporting food and nutrition security. They are the powerhouses of the Sahel and West African food economy. Nevertheless, access to affordable and nutritious foods is beyond the reach of many women and girls.

This DevTalks explored the importance of gender-responsive approaches to food and nutrition insecurity, highlighting that many responses still tend to operate in silos, narrowly focusing on improving women’s agency or access to information, instead of applying a truly intersectional approach that addresses the structural barriers that hamper their food and nutrition security.

Online event

In the context of compounding food and nutrition, security, climate and health crises, the OECD Development Centre and the Sahel and West Africa Club Secretariat (SWAC) hosted an online discussion on the Wikigender platform in partnership with the Agence française de développement (AFD), the Permanent Interstate Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS) and the G5 Sahel. The discussion, “Towards a Gender-Responsive Approach to Food and Nutrition Security in the Sahel and West Africa”, focused on three key issues:

• the importance of gender in addressing food and nutrition insecurity,
• best practices around food and nutrition security programming, and
• what is needed to engage decision-makers and amplify women’s voices.

Summary report

Concept note

Read the discussion

Women and trade networks in West Africa

Women make a significant contribution to West Africa's food economy, perpetuating a long tradition of commerce and participating in cross-border trade and regional outreach. Read online »

Women and conflicts in West Africa

The objective of this note is to analyse the temporal and spatial evolution of violence against women in West Africa over the last 20 years. Read online »

Women and climate change in the Sahel

The purpose of this paper is to explore the gendered impacts of climate change in the Sahel. Read online »

Integrating gender analysis into food & nutrition security

Integrating gender dimensions into early warning systems is critical to support equitable crisis prevention and response. Read online »

Gender Inequality in West African social institutions

This paper explores the formal and informal laws, social norms and practices restricting women’s rights and empowerment opportunities across West Africa. Read online »

Women roles in the West Africa food system

This paper examines how women’s empowerment is essential for food and nutrition security and resilience in West Africa. Read online »

Official development assistance (ODA) for gender equality in the Sahel and West Africa has increased. More

Over the last decade, conflicts have become more violent and widespread in West Africa. More

Women face many obstacles limiting their participation in trade. More

Fourteen countries have a prevalence of over 40% (severe) among women of reproductive age. More

The employment rate of women in sub-Saharan Africa (59.3%, ILO, 2017) is the highest  in the world (45.8%). More

Burkina Faso ratified all regional and international conventions on gender equality, adopted a national gender policy in 2009. More

In 2006, Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf became the first female head of state in Africa. More

Seven West African countries rank among the top 20 countries in the world. More

The WHO estimates that over 130 million girls and women today have undergone female genital mutilation/cutting. More