Julie Gichuru, founder and CEO of the Africa Leadership and Dialogue Institute, spoke powerfully at a recent United Nations General Assembly side event hosted by the Mastercard Foundation, emphasizing, “African women are holding us up.” However, many countries still fail to invest in women’s education and remove barriers to employment, leading to significant economic losses. According to a McKinsey & Company report commissioned by the Mastercard Foundation, addressing barriers that prevent young African women from joining the workforce could contribute an estimated $287 billion to the global economy by 2030.
Among the barriers facing young women in Africa are inadequate educational facilities, lack of access to contraception, and the heavy burden of unpaid care work. Only 26% of African girls complete secondary school, while women spend over three times as many hours as men on unpaid domestic tasks. Addressing this imbalance could enable millions of young women to pursue work or educational opportunities. “When women have access to education and market-relevant skills, they make outsized contributions to their families, communities, and countries,” said Reeta Roy, president and CEO of the Mastercard Foundation.
The event highlighted key solutions to empower African women, starting with better data collection. Ethiopia’s Education Minister, Berhanu Nega, shared how inaccurate data masked the true state of education, leading to much-needed reforms. Accurate data is essential to understand the challenges and improve women’s access to financing, as women-led businesses currently receive only a fraction of venture capital.
Another key takeaway was the importance of policy reform. “Instead of trying to fix African women, we should fix the systems,” stated Jemimah Njuki, UN Women’s chief of economic empowerment. She noted that countries like Kenya and Cape Verde are implementing national policies that redistribute unpaid care work, enabling women to enter the workforce. “Freeing up women’s time will allow them to pursue educational and economic opportunities,” explained Dr. Jamila Bio Ibrahim, Nigeria’s former youth development minister.
Financial investment must follow policy changes, emphasized Sierra Leone’s Minister of Technical and Higher Education, Haja Ramatulai Wurie. Sierra Leone, for example, dedicates 22% of its national budget to education. Partnerships with development banks could also fund inclusive infrastructure, like school toilets for girls and child-friendly workspaces.
The Mastercard Foundation itself announced a $360 million investment to support African women and girls in education, entrepreneurship, and employment. This funding, channeled through partnerships with organizations like CAMFED and the Forum for African Women Educationalists, aims to reach over 70,000 young women and girls in the next seven years.
From Namibia’s focus on economic gender equality to Sierra Leone’s emphasis on vocational training, there are examples of positive change. Technology also offers new ways to empower women, providing digital skills and access to job opportunities through platforms developed by organizations like Arizona State University and the Mastercard Foundation. Empowering African women through education, policy reform, and financial investment is key to unlocking economic growth and fostering sustainable development across the continent.