Gender, Development and Economic Growth in Sub-Saharan Africa

A plethora of scholars have attempted to discern the causes of slow growth in the sub-Saharan Africa region. The effects of global economic integration, corruption, geography and ethnic diversity have been widely explored. Mainstream growth analyses, however, have not yet integrated the body of scholarship that identifies the linkages between gender, economic development and growth. This paper explores the theoretical and empirical macro-growth effects of gender inequality in sub-Saharan Africa. It further identifies two key policy avenues for promoting gender equality and thus growth: public investment to reduce the gender gap in care burdens, and a shift in emphasis of central bank targets to employment.