The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) holds great potential for economic growth and for impacting organic change to the social structure of African society. A World Bank study shows that, if fully implemented, the AfCFTA could raise incomes by 9 percent in 2035 and lift 50 million people out of extreme poverty. However, achieving equitable access requires a vital ingredient: the meaningful participation of African women in the free trade area. 

While women are already active players in informal cross-border trade, their caregiving responsibilities and limited access to resources often impede their formal participation within the AfCFTA framework. To bridge this gap and achieve inclusive economic prosperity, we must acknowledge and address the challenges African women face as caregivers, paving the way for their meaningful participation

The advancement of women in AfCFTA is not just about economic prosperity, it is about social cohesiveness and justice. The AfCFTA Protocol on Women and Youth in Trade, endorsed by African Heads of state in early 2024, calls for the removal of gender-based barriers that hinder women’s participation in trade, including limited access to finance, absence of training opportunities, and lack of mentorship. Additionally, it includes measures to promote value addition, innovation, formalization of trade activities, and the integration of women and youth into regional and continental value chains.

For AfCFTA to thrive, Member States should foreground investment in gender equality objectives that can enhance the involvement of women in every step of the process. While parties to the AfFCTA have been promoting gender equality as a development goal, significant hurdles remain for the meaningful involvement of African women in the cross-border trade, including safety and security issues, limiting bureaucracies, and the unrecognized burden of caregiving.

African women comprise the majority of informal traders in their nations, and constitute up to 70 percent in informal cross-border trade. However, their endeavors result in fewer benefits as a result of the informal nature of their trade practices. Their caregiving responsibilities also hinder their participation in formal entrepreneurial activities, among other factors.  

The role of African women in caregiving for their families, animals, and the environment is unrecognized and undervalued—as manifested by the lack of policies on caregiving that protect women. The African Care Economy Index (2022) shows that Africa has one of the most unshared care systems globally, with women and girls performing 70% of unpaid domestic work. This translates into socio-economic drawbacks with women being constrained to caring work, agricultural production, and food processing, mainly for the household, and thereby hindered from making greater socio-economic contributions. 

The UN Human Rights Council’s October 2023 resolution on the centrality of care and support emphasizes an “equal and fair distribution of care” as a prerequisite for advancing women’s economic, social, and cultural rights. It recognizes that the gendered distribution of unpaid care work serves as a barrier to women’s “full, equal and meaningful involvement in the labour market, and to women’s economic opportunities, autonomy and entrepreneurial activities.” 

African countries can significantly contribute to the meaningful participation of women in the AfCFTA by recognizing and valuing the unique role of women in the care economy and investing in care structures. Increased public financing in the care economy can alleviate time poverty among women, allowing them to pursue entrepreneurial ventures. It is imperative to recognize African women not just as beneficiaries of trade, but as catalysts of a more equitable and successful African economic future.  

 

Dr. Tayechalem Moges follows the discourse on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment in Africa with the Baha’i International Community Addis Ababa Office