To commemorate International Women’s Day 2026, the African Development Bank Group, AfDB, hosted a high-level dialogue titled “Justice for Her: Rights, Justice and Women’s Economic Empowerment in Africa.
The dialogue highlighted how access to justice, legal protection and economic opportunity remain central to advancing women’s empowerment across the continent.
Held at the Bank’s headquarters in Abidjan, the event brought together policymakers, justice professionals, development practitioners, traditional authorities, entrepreneurs and students to examine how stronger legal systems and institutional safeguards shape women’s participation in economic life.
The dialogue also launched the Bank’s month-long “Gender in Focus” series, which explores how development projects supported by the institution are improving opportunities for women and girls across Africa.
Speakers emphasised that women’s empowerment is not only a social imperative but also an economic necessity.
Côte d’Ivoire’s Minister of Women, Family and Children, Nassénéba Touré, said Africa’s development cannot accelerate sustainably if women remain excluded from economic opportunities.
“Africa’s development cannot accelerate sustainably if half of its potential remains underutilized. And that potential is African women,” she said.
Senior Vice-President of the African Development Bank, Marie-Laure Akin-Olugbade, noted that women’s economic empowerment is closely tied to access to rights and justice.
“Promoting women’s rights is not a sectoral issue; it is fundamental to national development, economic competitiveness and Africa’s long-term stability,” she said, warning that when women cannot access land, finance or legal protection, economies suffer through lost productivity and slower growth.
Discussions during the session highlighted five key insights.
First, access to rights and justice remains the foundation of women’s economic empowerment. Across Africa, women still face barriers to owning land, accessing financial services and obtaining legal protection.
Second, legal reforms are essential to expanding women’s economic participation. Participants pointed to policy reforms in countries such as Côte d’Ivoire that address gender-based violence, improve inheritance and family laws, and strengthen women’s representation in political institutions.
Third, women entrepreneurs continue to face major structural obstacles, particularly in accessing finance. According to the Bank’s Director for Gender, Women and Civil Society, Dr. Jemimah Njuki, women-owned businesses across Africa face an estimated $1.4 trillion financing gap, driven partly by inequalities in asset ownership and collateral.
Panelists also shared practical experiences from the field. Anastasie Kouadio, President of the Union Vivrière Etraikpa de Toumodi, a women-led agricultural cooperative, said many rural women farmers struggle to obtain loans and other financing from commercial banks.
Fourth, speakers stressed that a gap often exists between legal frameworks and real-life implementation. Judge Fatou Diakité, President of the Association of Magistrates of Côte d’Ivoire, noted that although laws may guarantee equal rights, women hold only about 12 percent of registered land certificates in the country.
Closing this gap, she said, requires greater awareness of legal rights and stronger access to justice institutions, particularly for women in rural communities.
Traditional leader Danho Akradji also emphasised the role community leadership can play in promoting women’s rights and economic inclusion.
Finally, the dialogue underscored the importance of development institutions in translating policy commitments into tangible opportunities for women.
The African Development Bank’s Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa (AFAWA) initiative, for example, is helping expand access to financing and business support for women entrepreneurs across the continent.
Participants also highlighted the importance of strong institutional systems that support accountability and fair processes within development organisations themselves.
Closing the session, Dr. Ramzi Ali, the Bank’s Director of Staff Welfare Services, Compensation and Employment Policy, said development institutions have a broader responsibility to support gender-responsive access to justice.
