DFID has engaged in a wide range of project, programme and policy efforts designed to improve the cultural, economic and political situation of women in sub-Saharan Africa.
The third White Paper on International Development (published July 2006), “Eliminating world poverty: making governance work for the poor”, underlined DFID’s commitment to give greater priority to work to support gender equality and women's rights in our development assistance, responding to key priorities of African institutions like the African Union (AU) and New partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD).
Our gender equality action plan (launched March 2007) sets out how we will meet these commitments. DFID is further strengthening its analysis of gender equality through country governance assessments and through discussions with partner governments and regional institutions such as the AU. This will enable DFID to support efforts on women's empowerment and equality, including the Solemn Declaration on Gender Equality in Africa (SDGEA) and the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa. DFID will continue to support efforts to increase girls’ enrolment in primary school, reduce HIV prevalence among women and girls, reduce maternal mortality, give social protection for the very poorest women and increase employment opportunities.
Examples of initiatives to address these issues include the following.
In Sudan, DFID is empowering women in some of the poorest, marginalised communities as they learn to read and write assisted by the literacy and livelihood programme as well as supporting social marketing of mosquito nets, specifically targeting pregnant women and mothers of children under five.
In Ethiopia DFID is a key contributor to the Government's productive safety nets programme which targets some of the most vulnerable households such as those headed by women.
In Nigeria DFID has contributed to a girls' education programme improving net enrolment for girls especially in northern Nigeria, by addressing cultural and economic barriers. The security, justice and growth programme, through partnership with the Centre for Islamic Legal Studies, has carried out path-breaking analytical work on women's rights under Sharia law.
DFID is supporting efforts to eradicate female genital mutilation; this includes the production of a best practice resource for civil society groups to encourage strong and appropriate legislation to protect women and children against this practice.
We have formed a partnership with the International Finance Cooperation to undertake gender and growth analysis in a number of African countries including Tanzania, Rwanda and Nigeria. This is expected to lead to concrete changes in legislation and new investments.
DFID is providing support to the World Bank's gender action plan, which has a particular focus on Africa including the launch of new programmes focused on women's economic empowerment.