Sweddknowlege plateforme 20 août, 2026

Draft de Policy brief « Genre et DD en Gambie » (1)

Draft de Policy brief « Genre et DD en Gambie »
1. Background and justification
In the Global Gender Gap Index Report 2021, The Gambia ranks 127 out of 157 countries/territories with a score of 0.64 down from 0.67 in 2016. Women’s representation in decision-making positions remains a challenge as the country struggles to meet the “critical minority” international quotas and the NDP targets of 30 % representation in Parliament and Cabinet. Female representation in the National Assembly decreased from 10 % in 2016 to 8.6 % in 2022. In the recently concluded local government election, 58 women out of 367 nominated candidates contested, of which only 17 were elected out of 120 winners. Currently, only 3 out of 21 Cabinet Ministers are female. Rights to inherit land is a critical issue in The Gambia and is related to women’s economic empowerment. Few women have full rights and ownership to land, increasing the potential for poverty.
Discriminatory customary laws, cultural and social norms as well as intersecting socio-economic factors affect women’s land ownership in The Gambia. The government of The Gambia respects its commitment to treaty bodies and submits periodic reports to CEDAW etc., as well as providing the space for Civil Society Organizations to provide their own shadow reports. The shift in consumption patterns between genders around the ages of 26-52 suggests that there may be a need for policies that encourage female education and skill development in early adulthood. Empowering women with education and training could enhance their earning potential and economic independence. Given that males tend to outpace females in consumption between ages 26-57 in both 2015 and 2020, policies should focus on promoting gender equality in the workplace.
2. RESULT :
* Per Capita Labor Income Profile by Gender
The profile shows that across all ages, a male in The Gambia generated higher labor income compared to a female counterpart, on average. From age 0-5 the labor income for both boys and girls is basically zero (0) dalasi. Thereafter, labor income for both genders started to rise gradually with age. However, from age 13-28, the male gender experienced a larger increase in labor income than the female. Moreover, on average the highest income realized by a female in The Gambia was GMD47,795 at age 32. While a 31 year old man in The Gambia was producing an income of D55,487 in 2020.
Graph 1 : Per Capita Labor Income by Sex

Source: Gambia’s Team/CREG, 2023
* Aggregate Labor Income Profile by Sex
The graph shows that from ages 0-5 and 80 and above, aggregate income of men and women remains at zero. Aggregate income of women started to rise from age 8 at GMD 1.150 millions and was highest at age 33 at a value of GMD837.52 millions. Then it began a sharp fall from age 34 and was zero at 78 years. On the other hand the aggregate income of men equally starts rising from age 9 and was highest at age 29 recording a total value of GMD 795.88 millions. The income of men then starts to decline at 31-36. The labor income of men seems to show normal behavior between 36-48 years and begins to fall steadily.
Graph 2 : Aggregate Labor Income by Gender

Source: Gambia’s Team/CREG, 2023
* Per Capita Income by Sex 2015 and 2020
The figure below is a presentation of the total labor income by gender across the two periods under review (2015 and 2020). The smooth lines represent total labor income for males in both 2015 and 2020, while the dotted lines explain the trend of total labor income for females in both periods. The labor income for both genders across the two periods hit zero from ages 0-10) in 2015, (0-5) in 2020, and labor income was zero from 82 years and above. Therefore, it is evident that the productive base of the economy comprises people within the age bracket (11-81) years. On average a male in The Gambia generated more income (GMD70,000) in 2020 than in 2015. Interestingly, those males from 20-27 years earned more labor income in 2015 compared to the income generated by the same age group in 2020. However, the males in the age bracket 27-33 years generated more income in 2020 as compared to 2015. Subsequently, more labor income was generated by males from age 34-37 in 2015 than in 2020. Thereafter, a male between the ages 38-63 made more income in 2020 as compared to 2015.
Graph 3 : Per Capita Income by Sex 2015 and 2020

Source: Gambia’s Team/CREG, 2023
* Aggregate Income by Sex 2015 and 2020
From a younger age labor income for females stands out as compared to male in 2015 but in 2020 females received less income from the ages (10-21). The aggregate labor income of females at age (30-34) is higher than male for the same age group in both periods. Perhaps the females earn more because of the youth support scheme they receive from the government through the Gambia Export and Investment Promotion Agency (GEIPA). This scheme is meant to support female-owned businesses to thrive and eventually compete with the already existing male dominated businesses. Thereafter the aggregate labor income for male adults in 2020 was higher than female adults both in 2020 and 2015.
Graph 4 : Aggregate Income by Sex 2015 and 2020

Source: Gambia’s Team/CREG, 2023
* Life Cycle deficit by gender 2015 vs 2020
The graph below shows that men achieved a surplus of GMD 5, 867 million of LCD in 2015 from age 22 to 64. In 2020 the LCD surplus of men begins at the age of 25 years through the exact government retirement age (60 years) with a total surplus of GMD 5, 132 million. This shows that labor income of men in 2015 was higher compared to 2020. Conversely, women 2015 consumes above their income level. Similar scenario was also observed in 2020 except from age 32-40 where women achieved a little surplus in 2020. In ion age group 32-40 can be associated with the active women working class in the country
Graph 5 : Comparing LCD by Sex, 2015 and 2020

Source : CREG and NPCS

Recommandations
* implement financial literacy programs for young women, particularly in their early 20s.
* improve pension systems, healthcare, and support services for older women.
* promote female entrepreneurship.
* invest in regular data collection and analysis to track progress and adjust policies accordingly.
* Ensure that resources and opportunities are distributed equitably between genders across all age groups.
* Invest in initiatives that promote economic resilience and diversification, reducing vulnerabilities to economic f luctuations and ensuring that both men and women have stable and secure sources of income.