The Central African region includes 11 countries: Angola, Burundi, Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and São Tomé and Príncipe. Women’s issues remain a serious concern in Central Africa, with a particular focus on social equality, economic development, and population growth.
The place of women represents the attitudes and traditions of any society. They vary by location and by the cultural heritage of each ethnic group. Mostly, the Central African countries are male-dominated, which can be witnessed in the daily activities.
Women in Gabon and what they endure
Gabon has taken steps to support gender equality through legal reforms and institutional support. The government has significant initiatives in place to ensure the effective implementation of laws protecting women’s rights.
Women in Gabon experience significantly higher unemployment rates than men. In 2021, the unemployment rate was 28% for women, compared to 14.1% for men. This disparity is partly due to outdated labor laws that restricted women’s employment opportunities. These laws have since been overhauled to promote gender equality in the workplace.
Despite legal reforms, women often earn less than men for the same work. This wage gap persists across various sectors, reflecting broader global trends of gender pay inequality.
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Women in Gabon face challenges, including economic inequality, gender-based violence, and discrimination in marriage, though the government has passed laws to address these issues.
Specifically, they experience higher unemployment rates and difficulty accessing financial services, and domestic violence remains prevalent despite being illegal. Traditional customs and outdated laws can also limit their rights in marriage, divorce, and inheritance.
Situation in Equatorial Guinea
In Equatorial Guinea, the government has taken significant steps towards the implementation of laws, policies, and initiatives with a particular focus on empowering women and increasing gender equality.
However, challenges remain in implementation and outcomes. Educational and social factors disproportionately affect girls, hindering their access to higher education.
The Gender Parity Index (GPI) for tertiary (gross enrolment) in Guinea was about 0.431 in 2014, meaning for every one male enrolled, about 0.431 females were enrolled.
Girls in Guinea are much less likely than boys to complete secondary education. School dropout rates are high among girls. Early marriage is common. Around 19% of girls are married by age 15, and about 51% by age 18.
Illiteracy among women is very high: for example, one report says only 22 % of women are literate (aged 15+) compared to 44 % of men. Early marriage and low educational attainment reduce women’s future opportunities—economically, socially, and politically.
It often locks girls into domestic or informal roles early in life. Guinea has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in sub-Saharan Africa. The practice of female genital mutilation (FGM) remains prevalent.
Women in Cameroon
The government of Cameroon has implemented several programs, with a particular focus on strengthening women’s economic power.
For example, in the national “Report on the Nation’s Economic, Social and Financial Situation and Prospects”, the government has initiatives to improve women’s employability, such as training 1,360 women and girls in income-generating activities (IGAs) via Women and Family Promotion Centers.
Women face social, economic, cultural, and political challenges that affect their access to education, employment, health care, and decision-making power. Many girls, especially in rural areas, have less access to school education.
Dropping out of school at an early age is due to poverty, early marriage, or household responsibilities.
Some communities prioritize boys’ education over girls’, viewing women’s roles as primarily domestic. Conflict in regions like the Northwest and Southwest has led to school closures and displacement, affecting girls’ education most severely.
Women are overrepresented in informal, low-paying sectors such as agriculture and petty trade. Patriarchal norms also limit women’s decision-making power in households and communities.
Chad
The Government of Chad has initiated the Girls’ Education and Women’s Literacy Project (PEFAF) in collaboration with the African Development Bank (AfDB) and other partners.
In April 2025, the government announced that the national school curricula would include components on gender equality and climate change, an important initiative.
Also Read: Women Empowerment in Southern African States: Progress Made and What Needs to Be Done
Girls’ access to education is severely limited, including infrastructural constraints, distance from home, and societal preference for educating boys.
Women in Chad face a complex web of structural, cultural, legal, and economic challenges that limit their empowerment across many domains.
Adult female literacy is extremely low, limiting women’s ability to participate in economic, legal, and civic life. Drop-outs among girls: child marriage, early pregnancy, and domestic responsibilities all push girls out of school.
Struggles in the Central African Republic (CAR)
Several key government-led (or government-supported) initiatives in the Central African Republic (CAR) focus on improving access to and educational outcomes for women and girls.
The Multi-Year Education Resilience Program (2023-2026) was launched successfully in June 2023 by the government of CAR, in partnership with UNICEF, Education Cannot Wait (ECW), and other partners. Human Capital and Women & Girls Empowerment Project (“Maïngo”).
The World Bank supports the project through an IDA grant of about US$50 million for CAR.
Its objectives: improve access to education and health services for women and girls; promote empowerment of adolescent girls and job opportunities; establish safe spaces and community–based clubs.
The UN Women’s country strategy for CAR focuses on post-conflict recovery, social cohesion, women’s participation, and protection in areas such as Bangui, Bria, and Bangassou.
This includes capacity building for local women’s organizations and policy support. Recent World Bank financing supports scholarships for girls, community safe spaces/clubs, and integrated programs to improve girls’ access to education, health, and livelihood opportunities. (Example: scholarships for girls in Ouaka; project documents describe the establishment of safe spaces and community programs.)
At the same time, insecurity and conflict undermine women’s safety, access to services and economic activity, and increase displacement — making recovery and empowerment programs harder to deliver.
A look at Rwanda
Rwanda has made primary education free and compulsory, significantly boosting girls’ enrolment. The government, in partnership with UNICEF, is successfully implementing gender-responsive education strategies, including awareness campaigns for parents on the value of girls’ education.
Rwanda has made progress in girls’ education, although rural girls still face higher dropout rates.
Poverty, early pregnancies, and household responsibilities contribute to girls leaving school early.
Lack of access to higher education has limited access to women’s participation in professional sectors.
Rwanda is celebrated as a model for women’s empowerment in Africa, yet it also has deep-rooted cultural norms and economic inequality. However, social barriers still restrict full gender equality.
São Tomé and Príncipe
In June 2019, STP’s government, with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), UN, and others, held a workshop on women’s economic empowerment and financial inclusion. Key barriers were identified, including unpaid care work, adolescent pregnancy, lack of collateral, and social norms, which led to a national action plan.
The World Bank approved a USD 15 million “Girls Empowerment and Quality Education for All Project” in STP (2020) to support safe learning spaces, address school-related gender-based violence, improve water & sanitation infrastructure, and empower girls in challenging traditional gender and social norms.
Many women are concentrated in low-paying informal jobs, such as agriculture, petty trade, and domestic work. Access to credit, land ownership, and business opportunities remains limited due to traditional inheritance systems and a lack of collateral.
Unemployment and underemployment rates are higher among women, especially in rural areas. Primary school enrollment is nearly equal, but girls’ dropout rates increase at secondary and tertiary levels due to early pregnancies, poverty, and household responsibilities.
Adult female literacy is lower than male literacy, limiting women’s ability to access better jobs or leadership roles. Women in São Tomé and Príncipe face economic hardship, limited access to education and healthcare, gender-based violence, and social discrimination. To address these challenges, it’s essential to strengthen the education sector further to support women’s economic empowerment and greater representation in decision-making.
The Democratic Republic of Congo – DRC
In 2023, the World Bank approved $400 million for the “Girls’ Learning and Empowerment Project” in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Its focus is to ensure access to and quality of secondary schooling, with a “special emphasis on keeping adolescent girls in school.
The DRC has introduced a policy of free public primary education, supported by the World Bank’s financing through the Emergency Equity & System Strengthening in Education Project (EESSE).
Many girls drop out of school due to early marriage, poverty, or domestic responsibilities. Cultural norms often favor boys’ education over girls’. Rural areas usually lack schools, female teachers, and safe learning environments for girls. Women have limited access to formal employment, credit, and land ownership.
Most women work in subsistence agriculture or in the informal sector, where income is low and unstable. Customs prevent women from fully participating in economic life. Women in Congo face intertwined challenges rooted in conflict, poverty, gender inequality, and weak institutions. However, women’s organizations, international partners, and government initiatives are working to empower women through education, legal reform, and advocacy for gender equality.
In the Republic of Congo, the government has adopted a Sectoral Education Strategy 2021-2030, which, among other initiatives, has a particular focus “to improve the education system in the Congo and prevent discrimination against women”. On 26 June 2024, the World Bank approved a $95 million operation (co-financed with GPE) dubbed Transforming the Education Sector for Better Outcomes and Results (TRESOR) for the Republic of Congo.
The landmark Law No. 19‑2022 (Mouebara Act) of 4 May 2022 (often called the “Mouebara Act”) was adopted to combat violence against women and to reduce/ eliminate socio-economic and cultural barriers to ensure women’s participation in education and other sectors to achieve the sustainable development goals and upgradation of society.
Notable challenges include limited access to higher education and quality healthcare especially in rural areas. High maternal mortality rates have been reported due to inadequate reproductive and maternal health services that need to be further addressed immediately. Poor awareness and support for women’s mental health needs to be addressed immediately.
The Way Forward
Empowering women in Africa is key to sustainable development, social justice, and economic growth. Despite progress in education, leadership, and entrepreneurship, many barriers, such as gender inequality, limited access to resources, and cultural constraints, exist that need to be addressed immediately.
The way forward requires a comprehensive, coordinated approach involving governments, civil society, the private sector, and international partners to address challenges the women’s empowerment in Central Africa.
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