AfDB to help African states repeal gender discriminatory laws

African Development Bank (AfDB) plans to help African states repeal gender discriminatory laws in order to increase women participation in their economies, officials said on Tuesday.

AfDB Vice President Geraldine Fraser Moleketi told a women forum in Nairobi that it will empower women parliamentarians to amend laws that discriminate against women.

"Africa has witnessed significant progress on gender equality but there are still areas such as the legal status and land property rights where more is yet to be done," Moleketi said during the launch of the Women in Parliament Council.

The council will convene active female parliamentarians with other stakeholders to discuss and provide innovative solutions to the challenges related to women's property rights in order to achieve economic development.

Moleketi said that there is evidence that women face legal impediments that impact negatively on the economy.

"We want to improve the legal status of women in society so as to build an inclusive economy in Africa," the vice president said.

She noted that there are at least two countries in Africa where married women require the permission of their husbands in order to obtain identity cards.

"It means that if the women don't have identity cards they can't access formal financial services such as loans," she said.

AfDB East Africa Resource Center Director General Gabriel Negatu said his organization believes that the continent's long-term competitiveness depends on how well Africa empowers its women.

"In many African countries, however, unequal access to property, discriminatory laws including land and tenure rights hinder women from contributing even more to their countries' growth and well-being," Negatu said. Endit