New report highlights gender disparity in regional jobs

A group of women doing manual work in Yala swamp, Alego Usonga to fend for their families. [File, Standard]

A new report by the Intergovernmental Authority for Development (Igad) has shown that more women than men were unemployed between 2012 and 2022.

According to the Igad Statistical Yearbook: Facts and Figures, more men (75.4 per cent) participated in the labour force compared to 63.8 per cent of women during the review period.

The report, which puts labour force participation within Igad at 69.6 per cent - a slight improvement from the previous year - also shows there was gender disparity in the labour force participation within the region, with the male population registering a high proportion compared to the female population.

The report urges member states to introduce policies that would attract more females into the labour force.

In 2022, Ethiopia recorded the highest labour force participation rate at 80.2 per cent, while Somalia recorded the lowest at 25.9 per cent. Kenya came third, recording a 73.7 per cent participation rate.

The unemployment rate within the Igad region was at 15.9 per cent in 2022 and was at its peak in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Speaking at the report’s launch in Nairobi yesterday, National Treasury Cabinet Secretary Njuguna Ndung’u said accurate, timely, reliable and comparable data is imperative for analytical work that leads to planning, and policy choices, making decision-making more reflective of the situation.

“When we don’t have timely data, it becomes a major setback as you cannot evaluate, predict, and assess where you are coming from,” said Prof Ndung’u. The first edition of the Igad report is said to be an excellent tool for policymakers to track progress on the implementation of the regional bloc’s objectives.

“When you use data, you can design policies, design programmes, projects and interventions that can correct discourse in development, if not done properly, it becomes difficult to recollect your direction,” he said, noting data collection is quite expensive.

The launch of the Igad Statistical Yearbook: Facts and Figures aims to enhance sectoral statistics of Igad countries. Igad Deputy Executive Secretary Mohamed Ware said it is through the availability of accurate, reliable, and timely data that the trade bloc develops evidence-based policies and national development plans for the region.