Breaking Gender Bias Circle In Africa

 By Olufemi Oyedele

Women are seen in many African countries as second class citizens, even in their fatherland. They are only allowed to play the second fiddle. In the new millennium, what distinctly stands out African nations from western world are the numerous biases against women. Gender inequality is one of the greatest threats to Africa’s future. A study on gender inequality conducted in February 2022 by an online platform on market and consumer data, Statista, showed that the respondents agreed that there is gender inequality in Africa.

Twenty-two per cent of the African respondents considered employment opportunities as the main challenge faced by women on the continent. Females were, on the average, some 32 per cent less likely to have the same opportunities as males in sub-Saharan Africa. The second-leading issue was gender-based violence, as reported by 19 per cent of the respondents. In some parts of the East, women have no right to property inheritance and can only lay claims to property belonging to their husbands.

Why African Countries Remain Poor

 By Olufemi Oyedele

There are two types of poverty; extreme and relative. Extreme poverty is a state or condition of lack of basic needs like food, housing, clothing, transport, education, medicals and security, and a position of hopelessness of people. It is generally experienced by those living on less than $1.99 daily. All nations are endowed with natural resources that are supposed to make them live above the poverty threshold and, in the olden days, human beings naturally settled in communities that provided them with basic needs of living—food, water, shelter, medicals and security and safety from attacks. Gross domestic product per capita is considered an important method to compare how poor or wealthy countries are in relation to each other.

The average GDP of Africa is the lowest amongst the seven continents (Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Australia, Asia and Europe) at $9,700 (2021). Africa has the highest number of countries on its continent with 54 countries. With natural resources, especially arable land, rain forest, adequate sun, mineral resources and human resources, no African country is supposed to be poor.