Policy Brief - The Status of Women Movement in Africa

This brief emerges from the Assessment of Women's Movement in Africa, and it shows that African states and public institutions are – as a result of the efforts of the women’s movement – increasingly becoming gendered, and a greater number of women are making inroads into the continent’s corridors of power. As highlighted in most country reports, this progress will not automatically do away with the dominant patriarchal culture in governance, the distribution of political power and other resources, economic policies, and development generally. UN Women’s Country reports on the status of the women’s movement in Africa show that one of the major challenges to gender equality in Africa transcends discriminatory policies and includes resistance to change fueled by discriminatory cultural and religious traditions and beliefs. They show that patriarchy, power, and privilege are at the core of women’s oppression, exclusion, and vulnerability.