Zeinab Hassano on gender-differential employment effects in response to droughts in Africa
About
This research contributes to the literature by examining the gender-differential effects of drought shocks on employment rates in the agricultural, upper non-farm, and lower non-farm sectors at the national, urban, and rural levels in several sub-Saharan African countries. Despite the increasing frequency of drought events in many African countries, there have been insufficient amounts of studies on the correlation between droughts and employment rates at the national and urban-rural levels in sub-Saharan African countries. The study reveals that women, particularly in rural regions, often turn to agricultural work as a coping mechanism during droughts, whereas men’s employment tends to decline. These findings highlight the need for gender-sensitive policies to address drought-induced disparities and enhance climate resilience in labor markets.
"Women and girls are disproportionately affected by drought due to persistent structural gender inequalities that limit their access to essential resources such as land, water, and financial services. These inequalities also place formidable workloads on women and girls. "
Dataset and Methodology
Data were obtained from the International Disaster Database (EM-DAT), the International Labour Organization Database (ILO), and the Global Data Lab’s Area Database. The combined dataset contains information on individuals aged 15 and above from 31 sub-Saharan African countries, living in rural and urban regions. The study employs an event study difference-in-differences analysis to examine the impact of droughts on employment rates at the national, rural, and urban levels, comparing men and women. Using the combined dataset and research design, the study assesses differences between treated and control countries over time, utilizing panel data spanning from 2005 to 2020.
Figure 2a above illustrates the average employment rate for women living in rural areas during a drought. The figure shows that, in the event of a drought, women tend to take agricultural or lower-tier non-farm jobs rather than upper-tier non-farm jobs.
Figure 2b above shows that, in the event of a drought, men tend to migrate slightly more than women to urban areas to pursue upper-tier non-farm jobs.
Further research
Targeted interventions are needed to prevent droughts from worsening gender inequalities, especially in non-farm sectors. Expanding women’s access to diverse jobs is key to equitable economic recovery. Future research should explore droughts’ long-term effects on employment, human capital, and health in Africa’s most affected areas.