Empowering Women in Africa’s Restoration Economy

The policy brief examines the barriers preventing women in Africa from equitably participating in the restoration economy—the economic activity related to ecological restoration. It identifies that despite international and regional frameworks, women face systemic discrimination, limited political power, and significant financial hurdles, particularly regarding asset ownership and collateral for loans. The author argues that gender equity is essential for the ecological success of restoration projects and proposes reforms in financial systems, customary laws, and decision-making processes to ensure women are active drivers and beneficiaries of the restoration value chain.

• Women in Africa continue to face discrimination and gender inequality despite the existence of numerous policy and legal frameworks that enshrine gender equity.
• Women are frequently under-represented or act as token participants in decision-making processes within traditional rural African settings, which can lead to restoration economies that primarily benefit men.
• A primary barrier to women's economic empowerment in the restoration economy is the lack of asset ownership, as customary and patriarchal systems often grant men ownership of land and homes, which are required as collateral for bank loans.
• Financial inclusion for women in sub-Saharan Africa remains low; for instance, World Bank data from 2017 indicated that only 37% of women in the region possessed a bank account.
• The document recommends systemic reforms to address gender inequality, including the reform of customary laws regarding inheritance and land titling, and the adoption of alternative collateral sources in financial systems.

APA

Lewis, F. (2022). Empowering Women in Africa’s Restoration Economy. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Policy-Briefing-260-lewis.pdf

Chicago

Lewis, Fonda. Empowering Women in Africa’s Restoration Economy. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2022. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Policy-Briefing-260-lewis.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Lewis |first1=Fonda |title=Empowering Women in Africa’s Restoration Economy |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=March 2022 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Policy-Briefing-260-lewis.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{lewis2022empowering, author = {Lewis, Fonda}, title = {{Empowering Women in Africa’s Restoration Economy}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2022}, month = mar, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Policy-Briefing-260-lewis.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }