Empowering Women in Africa’s Restoration Economy

The document examines the marginalisation of women within Africa's emerging restoration economy, noting that despite international and regional policy frameworks, women still lack the social, economic, and political power necessary for equitable participation. It argues that gender equity must move beyond simple benefit-sharing to include active roles in decision-making and full integration across the restoration value chain. The report identifies critical barriers, such as discriminatory customary laws regarding land and asset ownership that limit access to finance, and suggests systemic reforms, financial system updates, and knowledge empowerment to ensure women are active drivers of ecological restoration.

• Despite the existence of international and regional policy frameworks, women in Africa continue to face discrimination and gender inequality, which hinders their equitable participation in the restoration economy.
• Gender equity in the restoration economy requires a two-pronged approach: ensuring women can engage in all dimensions from decision-making to evaluation, and providing the economic empowerment necessary to benefit from these activities.
• Women are often under-represented or serve as token participants in decision-making processes in rural African settings, which can lead to restoration economies that primarily serve the interests of men.
• A significant barrier to women's entrepreneurship in the restoration economy is the lack of asset ownership, as customary and patriarchal systems often grant land and home ownership to men, which banks require as collateral for loans.
• Financial inclusion for women in sub-Saharan Africa remains low, with World Bank data from 2017 indicating that only 37% of women in the region possessed a bank account.
• To achieve a just restoration economy, systemic reforms are needed, including the modification of customary laws regarding marital property, inheritance, and land titling, as well as the adoption of alternative collateral sources in financial systems.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2022). Empowering Women in Africa’s Restoration Economy. https://saiia.org.za/research/empowering-women-in-africas-restoration-economy/

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. Empowering Women in Africa’s Restoration Economy. 2022. https://saiia.org.za/research/empowering-women-in-africas-restoration-economy/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=Empowering Women in Africa’s Restoration Economy |date=7 April 2022 |url=https://saiia.org.za/research/empowering-women-in-africas-restoration-economy/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs2022empowering, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{Empowering Women in Africa’s Restoration Economy}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2022}, month = apr, url = {https://saiia.org.za/research/empowering-women-in-africas-restoration-economy/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }