African Women's Report 2009: Measuring Gender Inequality in Africa: Experiences and Lessons Learnt from the African Gender and Development Index

Abstract

The African Women’s Report 2009 is based on the results of piloting the African Gender and Development Index (AGDI) in 12 African countries across the five sub regions of the continent. Making a case for countries to invest in sex disaggregated data collection, the outcomes provide an indication of the general situation of women across the continent. The result of the AGDI trials demonstrate that countries have shown commitment to international, regional and sub-regional treaties affecting women through overwhelming ratification. The report confirms existing MDG status reports which indicate remarkable progress being made with respect to MDG2 on universal Access to Basic Education. With the aid of systematic collection of sex aggregated data, the report calls for enhanced commitment towards accelerated implementation of gender equality as outlined in several international treaties.