Africa, the world’s second-largest continent, shares borders with the Mediterranean Sea, the Red Sea, the Indian Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean. It holds the highest extreme poverty rates globally, with 23 of the 28 poorest countries, where poverty rates exceed 30%. With the poverty line set at $1.90 per day, Africa’s poverty rate is estimated at 35.5%. Over the past decade, the disparity between the poverty rates of women and men has widened, a trend often described as “the feminization of poverty.” While the continent has one of the highest rates of female labor participation ─second only to Asia─ vulnerable employment (such as unpaid family work) remains the norm.

Women Against Poverty

Compared to others, households led by women face a one-third higher risk of poverty, an issue often referred to as “the feminization of poverty,” which highlights the disproportionate number of women and children among the poor. In response, Women Against Poverty (WAP), a nongovernmental charity founded in Tanzania in 2012 by Mary Gemela and Cresensia Shirima, works to improve the socioeconomic conditions of girls and women in vulnerable conditions. The organization champions an agroforestry transformation in the developing world. It aims to substantially increase the use of working trees on smallholder rural landscapes, thereby ensuring food, nutrition, income, health, shelter, energy and a regenerated environment for women in these communities.

African Women’s Development Fund

Since its founding in 2001, the African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF) has been funding women-led organizations across Africa. AWDF supports grassroots, local and civil social movements that empower women. The foundation uses a philanthropic approach shaped by its early financial challenges to support feminist movements. Understanding the vital role of financial stability in building and maintaining organizations, AWDF commits to providing feminist groups with the necessary funding.

A wide array of organizations advocating for African women receives grants from AWDF. To qualify, organizations must be women-led, employ a staff that is at least 70% female, have operated for over three years and maintain a structured governance system dedicated to empowering African women. Eligible organizations can receive funding between $2,000 and $100,000. Over the past 22 years, 1,555 women’s rights and feminist organizations in 47 African countries and five Middle Eastern countries have received a total of $4.7 million from AWDF.

United Nations Women Africa

Globally, for every 100 men aged 25 to 34 living in extreme poverty, there are 122 women in the same age group. In sub-Saharan Africa, this disparity increases, with 127 women for every 100 men experiencing extreme poverty. Providing gender-responsive services, production resources, and market access in agriculture, industry and trade can significantly enhance the economic empowerment of women and youth in Africa. United Nations (U.N.) Women aim to empower up to 2 million women through regional and national interventions that increase income and build assets, wealth and business leadership. The program increases women’s access to productive resources and business services, addresses policy and regulatory barriers and enhances women’s participation in and benefits from the extractive industry, agriculture and trade. It also focuses on developing women’s and youth’s agribusiness and entrepreneurship skills across the value chain.

Looking Ahead

The feminization of poverty in Africa highlights women disproportionately affected by economic hardship. Organizations such as Women Against Poverty (WAP) and the African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF) are working to change this by providing women with the tools and resources needed to improve their livelihoods. Additionally, U.N. Women Africa is focused on empowering women through access to business opportunities and addressing policy barriers, ensuring that women can play a key role in driving economic growth and poverty reduction. These ongoing efforts are essential for fostering long-term development and creating a more equitable future.

– Minji L. Kim

Minji is based in Seoul, South Korea and focuses on Good News for The Borgen Project.

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