Unleashing the development potential of Africa’s women through African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA)

ABSTRACT

This paper aims to analyse the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) and its potential to unleash the development of women in Africa. The envisaged benefits of the AfCFTA include increased trade diversification, regional integration, enhanced human security, increased foreign direct investment and technological advancement. Despite optimism about the prospects of the agreement as a local innovation spearheaded by the African Union, pessimists raise questions about the extent of stakeholder engagement. The agreement must be gender-responsive to enhance outcomes for women cross-border traders. The paper concludes that the lack of gender sensitivity confirms the need to address the specific needs of African women, especially those involved in informal cross-border trade. Hence, for AfCFTA, the policy focus should be on ensuring the formalisation of women who participate in informal trade, thus helping increase access to markets, information and growth opportunities.

KEYWORDS:

• Development
• free trade agreement
• gender sensitivity
• unleash

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Primrose Thandeka Sabela

Primrose Thandekile Sabela is in the School of Development Studies at the University of Mpumalanga, Faculty of Economics, Development & Business Sciences. She has published peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, and co-edited books. Her research areas of interest include African development, gender and development and inclusive education.

Mfundo Mandla Masuku

Mfundo Mandla Masuku is an Associate Professor in the School of Built Environment and Development Studies at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. His research areas include inclusive education, food security, scholarship of teaching and learning, African and gender studies.

Victor H. Mlambo

Victor H. Mlambo is a Lecturer at the University of Johannesburg, School of Public Management, Governance and Public Policy. Victor's research interests include conflict and migration studies, political geography, regionalism and security studies.