Inspite of constitutional guarantees, few African countries have achieved gender parity, says Janneh

Abstract

Although about 90 percent of African constitutions endorse gender equality and affirmative action, only 11 countries have achieved parity in secondary education and only eight countries have achieved parity at tertiary level, the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), said as the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) kicked off its “Dialogue with Executive Secretaries of Regional Commissions of the United Nations” Speaking on the theme “Gender Equality and empowerment of women in the implementation of the MDGs”, Mr Janneh said women’s participation in executive, judicial, traditional and other public spheres is visibly low across most African countries, while their participation in non-agricultural wage employment is mainly at lower echelons and worst, at eight percent, in the security forces.