From the most remote corners to the dynamic metropolises of the continent, a pernicious mechanism continues to hold African women in an economic stranglehold: gender-based economic violence.
An Unequivocal International Definition
According to the United Nations, economic violence is defined as: “Rendering (or attempting to render) a person financially dependent by maintaining total control over their financial resources, by denying access to money and/or by prohibiting them from going to school or working.”
This definition captures the essence of a mechanism of domination that extends beyond African borders but finds particularly fertile ground on the continent.
Beyond Physical Blows, the Insidious Control
Violence is not always physical. It often hides in daily practices that deprive women of their dignity and economic freedom. It is a system where every financial decision, every professional opportunity becomes a terrain of silent struggle.
Testimony: The Story of Ayaba, 30, somewhere in West Africa.
“For 8 years, I worked as a market vendor. Every penny I earned had to be handed over to my husband. He decided everything: how much I could spend, if I could buy new clothes or help my family. My salary was his, my work was just an extension of his power.”
Ayaba embodies thousands of African women whose economic autonomy is systematically eroded, perfectly illustrating the UN definition of economic violence.
The Multiple Faces of Economic Violence
- Inheritance and Property: The Systematic Denial of Rights
The denial of inheritance rights represents one of the most brutal forms of economic violence. In many African communities, succession traditions persist in excluding women from land and real estate inheritance (which is why parents prefer to have male children!)
Concrete Implications:
- Impossibility of owning land
- Absolute economic vulnerability
- Perpetual dependence on family and external men
- Transgenerational precariousness
A striking example: In Rwanda, despite legislative advances, less than 20% of women own official land titles.
- Work and Remuneration: Institutionalized Precarity
The African professional universe remains deeply unequal, confining women to marginalized and poorly paid sectors.
Ground Realities:
- Overrepresentation in the informal economy
- Systematic wage gaps (up to 40% in some countries)
- Precarious jobs without social protection
- Discrimination in hiring and career progression
- Economically unrecognized domestic work
In Morocco, for example, women spend an average of 4.6 times more time on unpaid domestic tasks than men.
- Education and Training: The First Lock
Limited access to education constitutes the initial mechanism of reproducing economic violence.
Structural Obstacles:
- Lesser investment in girls’ education
- Early marriages interrupting schooling
- Gender stereotypes limiting professional choices (gendered professions)
- Lack of adapted infrastructures (sanitary, security-related)
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, only 33% of girls complete secondary school, compared to 47% of boys.
A Battle for Dignity
Transformation Levers
- Legislative Reforms
o Inheritance equality
o Protection against professional discrimination
o Recognition of domestic work - Economic Empowerment
o Microcredit and financing programs
o Targeted professional training
o Female entrepreneurship - Deconstruction of Social Norms
o Awareness campaigns
o Egalitarian education
o Valorization of female role models
A Call for Transformation
Gender-based economic violence is not a women’s problem, but a societal challenge. Every step towards economic equality is a step towards the development of an entire continent.
“Liberating women’s economy is liberating Africa’s economy.”