In Western and Central Africa, as in the rest of the world, women have been the first victims of the social and economic repercussions of the crisis precipitated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Often working in the informal sector, they are at greater risk of losing their jobs and have no social protections to cushion the impact of this shock. Even when they manage to keep their jobs, school and day-care closures force them to juggle work with child care and schooling responsibilities, not to mention household tasks.
This situation has exacerbated the inequalities between men and women, revealing the enormous challenges that governments must address in order to enable women to prosper socially and economically while contributing to the economic transformation of their countries.
Women are an essential asset and have shown immense resilience during the pandemic. No country can achieve its full potential as long as vast differences persist between men and women. To combat gender inequality, policies in favor of girls must be implemented and women’s equality must be promoted.
For example, in Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Mali, Mauritania and Niger, the Sahel Women’s Empowerment and Demographic Dividend Project (SWEDD) is, with assistance from the World Bank, helping to keep girls in school and to expand their future opportunities. This project also combats violence against women by emphasizing prevention, particularly through a strong commitment from policy makers, civil society, members of parliament, and religious and traditional leaders.
Niger, which has the highest fertility rate in the world, has also adopted bold reforms to address child marriage and early childbearing.
