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Africa: two billion women without access to social protection

Monicel
Africa: two billion women without access to social protection

A report by UN Women reveals that policies ranging from cash benefits to health care and pensions are not reaching enough women and girls, making them more vulnerable to poverty across the world

As the world prepares to celebrate the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty on 17 October, UN Women released a report highlighting the widening gender gap in social protection.

The report reveals that an alarming two billion women and girls have no access to any form of social protection.

Despite some progress since 2015, Gender disparities in social protection coverage have widened in most developing regions, suggesting that recent gains have disproportionately benefited men. This is putting progress towards Sustainable Development Goal 5 (SDG 5) at risk

Growing burden of gender poverty

The report paints a clear picture of gender poverty, showing that women and girls are overrepresented among the poor at all stages of life, with the greatest disparities seen during their childbearing years.

Women aged 25-34 are 25% more likely than men in the same age group to live in extreme poverty. Conflict and climate change continue to exacerbate this inequality, with women in fragile environments 7.7 times more likely to live in extreme poverty compared to those in stable regions.

In addition, high inflation rates since 2022 have pushed up food and energy prices, affecting women in particular. However, of the nearly 1,000 social protection measures adopted by governments in 171 countries in the following months, only 18% targeted women’s economic security, the report reveals.