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LIMITED CPD.14 (SPEC.) 15 March 1995 UNITED NATIONS INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION ORIGINAL: ENGLISH PARTICIPATION OF WOMEN IN MANUFACTURING: PAITERNS, DETERMINANTS AND FU11JRE TRENDS REGIONAL ANALYSIS, ECA REGION US/RAF/931128 FINAL REPORT* prepared by Integration of Women in Industrial Development Unit * The expres!.ed in this document are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the UNIDO Secretariat. This document has not been edited. V.95-51936 PREFACE This study is part of UNIDO' s effons to establish a more systematic approach to data collection and analysis to provide a sound base for identifying and designing activities which will improve the integration of women in industrial development. In a wider context, the study represents UNIDO's contribution to regional preparations for the Fourth World Conference on Women to be held in Beijing in 1995. The frame of reference for the study was provided by the global analysis of patterns of women's economic/industrial participation contained in 1992/93 UNIDO study on "Women in Manufacturing: Participation Patterns, Detenninants and Trends• (UNIDO, October 1993). The present study on women in the African region benefited from the methodology developed for the global analysis but the conceptual model bas been adapted to reflect women's concerns specific to this region. 1be methodology represents a valid contribution to the analysis of women's economic participation and together with the proposed programmes of action constitute the mair output of this project. In addition, a separate report is being prepared to adclress in more detail problems associated with the collection of gender sensitive indicators in the region. The study, which was generously supported by the Government of The Netherlands has been implemented by the Integration of Women in Industrial Development Unit with the assistance and cooperation of the United Nations F.commic Commission for Africa (ECA). The work involved in the study was shared between an international consultant (Pavla Jezk:ova), a regional consultant (Zenebeworke Tadesse ) and a UNIDO data processing team ( Claudia Barberis, Giorgia Dario-Paolucci and Stefan Bosnjakovic). A two day workshop was jointly organized by UNIDO and ECA in Addis Abeba, 16-17 August 1994. Selected experts/observers from the region (Saida Agrebi from Tunisia, Gladys Mutukwa from Zambia, Abigail Andab from Ghana, Jeanne Kouao from Cote d'Ivoire, Ida Wanendeya from Uganda and John Forje from Cameroon) were invited to the workshop to review the preliminary findings of the study and to provide substantive inputs for the fonnulation of strategies and plar,s of action for a more efficient and equitable use of human resources in economic and industrial development in the region. Table of Contents Introduction Chapter I: Patterns and Determinants of Women's Role in Economic and Industrial Activities . 1 1.1 Women's Participation in the Labour Market . 1 1.2 Economic and Industrial Environment . 5 1.3 Characteristics of Social and Demographic Conditions .............. 8 1.4 Characteristics of Political, Legal and Institutional Environment . 12 1.5 Detenninants of Women's Economic and Industrial Panicipation ......................................... 13 Chapter Il: Groups of Countries and Their Characteristics . 24 2.1 Summary of the Main Findings . 25 2.2 Analysis of Country Groups ............................. 27 Chapter W: Development Trends and Challenges . 69 3 .1 Regional and Global Development Trends . 69 3.2 Challenges for Individual Groups of Countries .................. 15 Chapter IV: Strategies . 84 4.1 Strategies and Proposals for Actions for Individual Country Groups . 84 4.2 Strategies and Proposals for Action at the Regional Level ........... 84 Annex A: Methodological Annex Annex B: Sources for Variables and Indicators Annex C: Results of Multiple Correlation Analysis Glossary Bibliography TABLES AND FIG~ Introduction Box 1 Methodological Framework Box2 Conceptual Model Table 1 List of Variables and Indicators Chapter I Table 2 System Characteristics of Selected Indicators for all Countries Figure I Male /Female Gender Gap of Economic Activity Rate Figure 2 F.conomic Dimibution of Sectors as a percentage of GDP Figure 3 Male/Female Gender Gap in EAP in Industrial Manufacturing Figure 4 Sectoral Distribution of Female Economic ActiYe Population Figure 5 Women's Participation in Sectors 31, 32 and 38 Figure 6 Female Economic Activity Rate and Fertility Rate flgure 7 Fertility Rate and Female Secondary School Enrolment Rate Figure 8 Male/Female Gender Gap in Secondary School Enrolment Rate Figure 9 Cluster Cbaracteristics Ouster 1 Figure 10 M/F Disparities, Ouster 1 Figure 11 Ouster Characteristics, Ouster 2 Figure 12 M/F Disparities, Cluster 2 Figure 13 Cluster Characteristics, Ouster 3 Yagure 14 M/F Disparities, Ouster 3 Y1g11re 15 Cluster Characteristics Ouster 4 Figure 16 M/F Disparities, Cluster 4 Figure 17 Ouster Characteristics, Cluster 5 Figure 18 M/F Disparities, Cluster 5 Figure 19 Cluster Characteristics, Ouster 6 Yagure 20 M/F disparities, Cluster 6 Yagure 21 Cluster Characteristics, Cluster 7 Figure 22 M/F Disparities, Cluster 7 Chapter D Table 3 Cluster and Regional Means Table 4 System Characteristics of Cluster 1 Table 5 System Characteristics of Cluster 2 Table 6 System Characteristics of Cluster 3 Table 7 System Characteristics of Ouster 4 Table 8 System Cbaracteristics of Cluster 5 Table 9 System Characteristics of Ouster 6 Table 10 System Characteristics of Cluster 7 i INTRODUCTION 1be role of women in development bas been the focus of international and national agencies' programmes since the Mexico City Conference in 1975. This trend bas been reinforced by the need to examine issues of women's economic contribution in the wider context of human resources development. It has been recognized that policies which concentrated on the development of physical capital and neglected the human element have failed to bring about sustainable improvement in economic and social conditions for the majority of the developing countries' population. Adoption of a "gender-based" perspc:ctive has increased the understanding of the different social and economic factors which shape the roles of women and men and are primarily responsible for the differences between women's and men's achievements and participation in development. "Women's role is not only the reproduction of the human race, but also their contribution to social and economic life and development. There can be no useful analysis nor efficient economic and social policy without a measurement of their contribution and the special circumstances in which it is made. It is sometimes not realized thal the whole economic system would be paralysed the moment women withdrew their cooperation. " (Measuring Women's and Men's Economic Contribution, Lourdes Urdaneta-Ferran, 49 th Session of the International Statistical Institute). On the African continent, the importance of women's C(Jntribution to development takes on a special significance. Women constitute the majority of the rural population and make a crucial contribution to the food production sub-sector. 1be neglect of women's role in agriculture is accepted as a major cause of the decline in African food production (ADB 1990). Furthennore, it is also recogni.l..ed that without women's activities in the informal sector most urban centres in Africa rannot be fed (/LO 1988). In Africa, the numbe& of households headed by women is the highest in the world and these households often represent the most disadvantaged section of the population (!FAD 1993). Thus, "... the Bank Group believes, thal the continent cannot begin to solve its development problems until policies and mechanisms are established that remove barriers inhibiting the maximization of women's development efforts and the