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Assessing Women Empowerment in Africa

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  • Stephen Baffour Adjei
Abstract
This review discusses the religious and cultural challenges to the empowerment of women in some patriarchal societies in Africa. The article takes a critical reflection on some of the contextual deficiencies of the gender empowerment measure (GEM) developed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as a universal benchmark for assessing gender inequality. It has been highlighted that agency is a necessary component in the conceptualisation and realisation of women empowerment particularly in Africa. The article further demonstrates that the GEM has capitalist, elitist and Eurocentric biases that account for a relatively small percentage of women in the formal sector of the African economy. The nuances of multiple and overlapping identities of women in many African countries that are not adequately encapsulated in the scope of the GEM are discussed. It is thus concluded that women empowerment measures and indicators should be sensitive to the context and values of those it seeks to assess rather than adopting abstract mappings that tend to reduce and universalise all women in all societies.

Suggested Citation

  • Stephen Baffour Adjei, 2015. "Assessing Women Empowerment in Africa," Psychology and Developing Societies, , vol. 27(1), pages 58-80, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:psydev:v:27:y:2015:i:1:p:58-80
    DOI: 10.1177/0971333614564740
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    5. Ruth Alsop & Mette Bertelsen & Jeremy Holland, 2006. "Empowerment in Practice : From Analysis to Implementation," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 6980.
    6. Hanny Cueva Beteta, 2006. "What is missing in measures of Women's Empowerment?," Journal of Human Development and Capabilities, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 7(2), pages 221-241.
    7. Adinkrah, Mensah, 2012. "Better dead than dishonored: Masculinity and male suicidal behavior in contemporary Ghana," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 74(4), pages 474-481.
    8. Alsop, Ruth & Heinsohn, Nina, 2005. "Measuring empowerment in practice: structuring analysis and framing indicators," Policy Research Working Paper Series 3510, The World Bank.
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