Africa’s lion economies and their gendered impacts: lessons from Asia

Abstract

SUMMARY This Debate addresses the ‘Eastern turn’ in policy and direction among Africa’s fast growing lion economies. It focuses in particular on recent recommendations in the African political economy literature for a reorientation in investment towards low-wage, labour-intensive manufacturing industries. Drawing on relevant empirical studies from Asia, it argues that there are significant gendered implications to this Eastern turn which, to date, have largely been ignored in the mainstream African literature. A widening of discourse and policy in ways that move beyond ‘add women and stir’ approaches, to address broader structural constraints to women’s economic participation, is recommended.