SIGI 2021 Regional Report for Africa
The SIGI 2021 Regional Report for Africa provides regional analysis on how discriminatory social institutions, such as formal and informal laws, social norms and practices, continue to constrain women’s empowerment and restrict their access to opportunities and rights. It gives new evidence on the impact of these discriminatory social institutions on three key dimensions of women’s empowerment across the region: their physical integrity, their economic situation and their political voice, leadership and agency. The report provides regional as well as thematic policy recommendations that aim to transform gender norms, promote women’s empowerment and build a truly inclusive society, especially in the current context of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Assessment and recommendations
The SIGI 2021 Regional Report for Africa reaffirms that African women currently face the highest level of discrimination in laws, social norms and practices compared to women in other regions of the world (OECD, 2019[1]). The region obtains a SIGI score of 40 – the highest among the world’s regions – indicating a significant level of discrimination in social institutions as well as a need for political engagement and investment to strengthen progress towards gender equality and women’s empowerment. Notwithstanding wide variations among African countries, levels of discrimination in social institutions at the sub-regional level range from medium to high. Southern Africa fares the best with a medium level of discrimination and an overall score of 32 compared to the other African sub-regions: North Africa (49), Central Africa (44), West Africa (44) and East Africa (39).
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