African Gender and Development Index Regional Synthesis Report

African member States have shown commitment and are taking critical steps to advance gender equality and women’s empowerment by acceding to key global and regional instruments, and integrating gender into national policy, planning, program and legislative  frameworks, thus acknowledging the centrality of gender equality in the achievement of socio-economic and political development. In doing so, they are affirming that gender equality and women’s empowerment are not only development goals in their own right but they are also a device to achieving development results. Rio + 20 outcome document acknowledges persistent social, economic, and political inequalities deterring realization of the full potential of women to engage in, contribute to and benefit from sustainable development as leaders, participants and agents of change.Most countries in Africa have affirmed their commitment to collect, disseminate, harmonize, and make full use of sex disaggregated data to inform policy decisions.