Elisa Desbordes-Cisse, our COO, was in Kigali speaking on what corporate Africa can do to help close the gender gap.
Women are responsible for 60% of work done globally yet earn just 10% of the world’s income and own 1% of property. In Africa, 70% of women are excluded financially. Africa has a $42 billion financing gap between men and women. According to McKinsey’s ‘Power of Parity Report: Advancing Women’s Equality in Africa’, Africa’s gender parity stands at 0.58 (1 would be full parity). Without drastic action it could take 140 years for the continent to achieve full parity.
The 2022 African Philanthropy Forum, which took place in Kigali on 24-25th of October, was themed “African Philanthropists – closing the gender gap”. The conference gathered key stakeholders to address and deepen the understanding of the impact of gender inequality, including how it interacts with political, social and cultural dimensions.
Ecobank Foundation’s COO, Elisa Desbordes-Cisse, was among the speakers. Commenting on how business can help, she said “Achieving gender equality within and through education is one of the most powerful tools we have to close the gender gap. Educating women and girls is one of the smartest investments African countries can make. Corporate Africa has a critical role to play”.
Read more about the African Philanthropy Forum here