12 Gender Justice in the Energy Transition Era …
377
and ensuring more interconnectedness between African countries, thus
limiting their dependence on other countries outside the continent.
The intention of the Agreement is: to increase intra-African trade by
expediting the establishment of regional value chains, to reduce overreliance on other countries outside the continent, and to allow African
states to retain the value that they create, within the continent.
19 The
Agreement would have positive benefits, particularly for the extractives
industries within the continent.
Women are a crucial cog in the wheel to ensure the proper implementation of the AfCFTA Agreement, i.e. the Agreement will not be
successful without the participation of women. The role of women in
driving general consumption patterns cannot be overstated. According
to statistics, women reinvest 90% of their income back into their households, while men reinvest only 30–40%.
20 Therefore, women have a
critical part in promoting the requisite demand that would support the
exchange of goods and services among countries throughout the AfCFTA
Agreement.
The agricultural sector, for example, is historically the key driver of
the majority of economies in Africa. Women contribute significantly to
this sector through labour. Such contribution emphasizes the assertion
that the Agreement would be unsuccessful without the equal participation of women. Other industries like the extractives ought to take the
necessary steps to include women in order to ensure the success of the
AfCFTA Agreement. With this realization that women are essential to
in promoting economic activities between countries, it is expected that
this Agreement would act as an incentive for governments to promulgate
targeted policies and legislation that is female-focused, to boost productivity for the continent, to enable it to be an equal participant in the
global economy.
19 Chege (n 16).
20 IFC, ‘Assessing Private Sector Contributions to Job Creation and Poverty Reduction: Findings
on Gender’ (2013) IFC Jobs Study, https://www.ifc.org/wps/wcm/connect/2125f97c-da65-4fb0aba7-1d554bfe55bb/full-study-gender.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&CVID=jRvG5JC, accessed April
14, 2020.
377
and ensuring more interconnectedness between African countries, thus
limiting their dependence on other countries outside the continent.
The intention of the Agreement is: to increase intra-African trade by
expediting the establishment of regional value chains, to reduce overreliance on other countries outside the continent, and to allow African
states to retain the value that they create, within the continent.
19 The
Agreement would have positive benefits, particularly for the extractives
industries within the continent.
Women are a crucial cog in the wheel to ensure the proper implementation of the AfCFTA Agreement, i.e. the Agreement will not be
successful without the participation of women. The role of women in
driving general consumption patterns cannot be overstated. According
to statistics, women reinvest 90% of their income back into their households, while men reinvest only 30–40%.
20 Therefore, women have a
critical part in promoting the requisite demand that would support the
exchange of goods and services among countries throughout the AfCFTA
Agreement.
The agricultural sector, for example, is historically the key driver of
the majority of economies in Africa. Women contribute significantly to
this sector through labour. Such contribution emphasizes the assertion
that the Agreement would be unsuccessful without the equal participation of women. Other industries like the extractives ought to take the
necessary steps to include women in order to ensure the success of the
AfCFTA Agreement. With this realization that women are essential to
in promoting economic activities between countries, it is expected that
this Agreement would act as an incentive for governments to promulgate
targeted policies and legislation that is female-focused, to boost productivity for the continent, to enable it to be an equal participant in the
global economy.
19 Chege (n 16).
20 IFC, ‘Assessing Private Sector Contributions to Job Creation and Poverty Reduction: Findings
on Gender’ (2013) IFC Jobs Study, https://www.ifc.org/wps/wcm/connect/2125f97c-da65-4fb0aba7-1d554bfe55bb/full-study-gender.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&CVID=jRvG5JC, accessed April
14, 2020.