Cabo Verde is an archipelagic country off the coast of West Africa, where women make up just under half of the country’s total population. Despite the push to increase the labor participation rate amongst women and their presence within male-dominated fields, the gender wage gap in Cabo Verde still persists. This is largely due to a mixture of cultural norms and limited options of employment for women. However, landmark government reforms are aiming to combat this disparity.

Employment Opportunities

The labor participation rate amongst women is approximately 50.5%, an increase of 9.6% since the 90s. This is lower than the male participation rate, which is approximately 62.4%. This reveals how around 49.5% of women who are eligible to work in Cabo Verde are out of work.

For the women who are in employment, the opportunities that are available to them are limited. Although women hold 29% of senior and middle management roles within businesses, data from the World Bank reveals how the rate of vulnerable employment is higher amongst women than it is for men. This is work that has more informal arrangements and less social protection. 44.7% of women work within this industry, compared to 26.1% of men, fueling the gender wage gap in Cabo Verde.

Tourism offers many employment opportunities as it makes up 25% of Cabo Verde’s GDP. While women make up 60% of the labor within this industry, they earn 50% less than their male counterparts. Many women have short-term work contracts, a shortcoming that offers more instability for working women.

Marriage and Childcare

Early marriage and childcare responsibilities can limit women’s potential earnings which widens the gender wage gap in Cabo Verde. About 93% of non-employed women revealed that family responsibilities are their main reason for being out of work, with this issue being particularly prominent in rural areas.

According to UN Women, 8.4% of women aged 20 to 24 were married before they were 18. Early marriage can disrupt a woman’s education and her access to skills and resources needed to find good employment.

Efforts To Combat the Gender Wage Gap in Cabo Verde

Cabo Verde’s constitution guarantees equal rights for men and women. This is reflected in the Law of Parity, passed in 2019 which outlines a minimum quota of 40% in the representation of each gender within voting and electoral lists. By increasing female participation in politics, it strengthens the position of women within the workforce, minimizing the gender wage gap in Cabo Verde.

In 2023, UN Women, with the support of the Cabo Verdean Institute for Gender Equality and Equity commissioned the Action Plan for Gender Mainstreaming in Tourism. Its priorities include institutional strengthening, training and capacity building and women’s equality and empowerment. This resulted in the development of mentoring programs for women in male-dominated industries.

The impact of the expansion of vocational training for women enables them to gain important skills in business and financial literacy, combatting the gender wage gap in Cabo Verde. Katia Tavares is a recipient of the government’s program, where she undertook courses in a variety of fields. She chose to pursue a career in plumbing, a male-dominated field, due to its financial benefits. It marked a change from her previous job of selling clothes, where many days were unprofitable.

Women in the Workplace

In 2024, the Ministry of Finance in Cabo Verde implemented the Gender Equality Seal for Public Institutions, with a Gender Equality Commission formed to monitor the effective implementation of it within the workplace. It aimed to promote gender equality through government transparency. One of its key aims is the prevention and response to workplace harassment and gender-based violence.

This initiative highlights the next steps in ensuring women are safe as they enter the workplace. With many government initiatives in place, there is a clear drive to close the gender wage gap in Cabo Verde to create meaningful equality between men and women.

– Maya Tailor

Maya is based in London, UK and focuses on Global Health and Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr