Gender economic inclusion and sustainable development in Africa

Purpose This study investigates how gender economic inclusion affects sustainable development in Africa. Design/methodology/approach The study is focused on 42 African countries for the period 2000–2019. It argues that enhancing gender economic inclusion in all sectors of society promotes and sets a better pace for the attainment of sustainable development in Africa. The gender economic inclusion variable used is the number of females employed as a ratio of the working-age population. The study employs the generalized method of moments as the main analysis method alongside the ordinary least squares technique. Findings The results show that gender economic inclusion has a negative effect on sustainable development in Africa, but they reveal contradictions when income groups are taken into consideration. Specifically, the middle-income group in Africa experiences a positive effect of gender economic inclusion on sustainable development. Practical implications As policy implications, this study recommends that policy makers in low-income countries in Africa do everything within their reach to have equitable gender-inclusive societies, that is, to narrow the gap between the already wealthy class of women and the poor. This could be done by having more women included in different economic sector activities, in order to create a more conducive atmosphere for sustainable development. Originality/value The study has complemented the existing literature by assessing the nexus between gender economic inclusion and sustainable development in Africa.