AFRICA GENDER FUTURES: THEMATIC FUTURES

This research paper introduces a thematic study on gender futures in Africa, analyzing the gap between the continent's extensive policy frameworks for gender equality and the persistent social and economic inequalities. It outlines the economic costs of these disparities and sets the stage for modeling the impact of reducing gender inequalities on development outcomes through 2043.

• Despite the adoption of numerous international and regional protocols—including the Maputo Protocol and the African Union's Agenda 2063—gender equality remains a distant goal in Africa. Sub-Saharan Africa is identified as the worst-performing region in the UNDP’s Gender Inequality Index, and McKinsey reports Africa's overall gender parity at 0.58. At current rates of progress, it is estimated that full equality could take 140 years to achieve.
• Gender inequality imposes significant economic costs on the African continent. Between 2010 and 2014, annual economic losses due to gender gaps in sub-Saharan Africa reached US$95 billion according to the 2016 UNDP Human Development Report. Additionally, the OECD's 2021 Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Regional Report estimated that discriminatory social institutions cost Africa 7.5% of its GDP in 2019.
• Global gender biases have shown no improvement over the last decade. The UNDP 2023 Gender Social Norms Index report indicates that approximately 50% of the global population believe men are better political leaders than women, over 40% believe men are better business leaders, and 25% believe it is justified for a man to beat his wife.
• Recent global shocks, specifically the COVID-19 pandemic and its resulting economic crisis, appear to have reversed progress toward gender parity. UNDP data shows that most regions, including all African regions, saw a decline in their Gender Inequality Index scores between 2019 and 2021.

APA

Yeboua, K., & Cilliers, J. (2026). AFRICA GENDER FUTURES: THEMATIC FUTURES. Institute for Security Studies. https://futures.issafrica.org/thematic/guide.pdf?thematic=16-gender&topic=01-introduction

Chicago

Yeboua, Kouassi, and Jakkie Cilliers. AFRICA GENDER FUTURES: THEMATIC FUTURES. Institute for Security Studies, 2026. https://futures.issafrica.org/thematic/guide.pdf?thematic=16-gender&topic=01-introduction.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Yeboua |first1=Kouassi |last2=Cilliers |first2=Jakkie |title=AFRICA GENDER FUTURES: THEMATIC FUTURES |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=21 April 2026 |url=https://futures.issafrica.org/thematic/guide.pdf?thematic=16-gender&topic=01-introduction |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{yeboua2026africa, author = {Yeboua, Kouassi and Cilliers, Jakkie}, title = {{AFRICA GENDER FUTURES: THEMATIC FUTURES}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2026}, month = apr, url = {https://futures.issafrica.org/thematic/guide.pdf?thematic=16-gender&topic=01-introduction}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }