ECA Policy Brief

The Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA), to be concluded by the African States by the end of 2017, is expected to bring considerable benefits in terms of increased intraregional trade, the development of regional value chains, the creation of meaningful employment and, as a consequence, reduced poverty on the continent. If realized, these impacts would make the agreement truly transformational. For the initiative to deliver on these ambitions, it is crucial that progress includes all. It is in this context that the gender dimensions of African trade should be considered. The consistent gender inequalities on the continent create scope for differentiated impacts from the agreement between men and women.