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on Africa |
| By: | Banao, Fawzi |
| Abstract: | In resource-rich African countries, the illicit trafficking of mineral resources poses a growing threat to state stability and governance. Therefore the paper investigates the effect of gold customs fraud on military spending, using a panel dataset of 50 African countries from 2000 to 2019. Employing an instrumental variable strategy, we find that higher levels of gold customs fraud are significantly associated with lower military expenditures. These findings suggest that illicit resource flows erode governments' tax mobilization and undermine their ability to respond to defense needs. The results are robust across multiple econometric specifications, including system GMM, and Jackknife estimation. |
| Keywords: | Military spending, Gold customs fraud, Illicit natural resource trade |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:esprep:315363 |
| By: | Stöcker, Alexander |
| Abstract: | This study examines the determinants of female labour force participation (FLFP) and female wage employment (FWE) of urban women in four SSA countries: Benin, Senegal, Uganda and Zambia. Using extensive micro-level data and a unified empirical framework, we investigate the multitude of constraints women face in both these dimensions. The methodology tries to bridge the drawbacks of typical macro-level cross-country studies and detailed country case studies, enabling direct comparisons over time and across countries. Key findings highlight substantial cross-country heterogeneity in barriers to female employment, including education, household wealth, motherhood, and male breadwinner norms. While higher education consistently enhances FLFP and FWE, motherhood negatively affects wage employment more persistently than labour force participation. Interaction effects between barriers, such as motherhood and male breadwinner norms, underscore their compounded impact. Additionally, local labour market conditions, namely the variety of occupations available, moderate these barriers, amplifying disadvantages for women in labour markets with higher levels of occupational variety. The study emphasises the importance of context-specific policy interventions. Recommendations include vocational training in Benin, advocacy for shifting restrictive norms in Senegal, targeted support for labour market transitions in Uganda, and addressing male breadwinner norms in Zambia. Future research should delve deeper into how labour market transitions influence female employment and how negative consequences can be remedied. |
| Keywords: | Female Labour Force Participation, Wage Employment, Gender Equality, Sub-Saharan Africa, Employment Barriers, Context-Specific Policies |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:diedps:313625 |
| By: | Ohemeng, Fidelia N. A.; Ogum, Deda; Akakpo, Deborah Tayo; Coker-Appiah, Dorcas |
| Abstract: | Ghana is a multi-party, multi-ethnic and multi-religious state, with a dominant influence of socio-cultural norms and practices that impact negatively on women in their everyday lives. Most Ghanaians are subject to customary law which discriminates against women, even though Ghana practises legal pluralism. The overall aim of the study is to explore and analyse contemporary feminist perspectives and organising in Ghana to demonstrate how they can be used as levers for transformative change for greater equality and sustainable development. This was a cross-sectional and fully qualitative study involving 35 feminists and women's rights advocates between the ages of 37 and 80+ years, with the majority (n=25) having over 20 years of experience and relevant postgraduate degrees. Data collection, analysis and conceptualisation were guided by the gender-transformative approach and the gender at work frameworks. Our findings show that gender inequity occurs in both formal and informal spaces. Strongly held socio-cultural norms emanating from patriarchy influence women's daily lives, and the decisions made within sub-national and national legislature. Feminist strategies span general awareness creation, through lobbying, writing and reviewing of content for policies and laws, increasing the visibility of bills to picketing to ensure the passage and implementation of applicable laws or policies. Participants consider their strategies successful despite challenges such as backlash, burnout, and the lack of funding for their activities. |
| Keywords: | Gender, Africa, Feminism, Ghana, Development Policy |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:diedps:313626 |
| By: | Ekaterina Pirozhkova; Nicola Viegi |
| Abstract: | This paper studies the bank lending channel of monetary policy transmission in South Africa where the bank loan-level data, which are typically used for this type of analysis, are unavailable. Supply-side changes in credit provision are measured with data on the composition of home-loan supply by banks versus nonbanks. High-frequency surprises in forward rate agreements are used to instrument for exogenous shifts in monetary policy in a proxy-structural vector autoregression model. The bank lending channel is found to be operative, as banks reduce the supply of home loans following monetary tightening, with a negative effect on the housing market. The effectiveness of the deposits channel is shown: banks widen the deposit spread after monetary tightening, and the volume of deposits shrinks. As retail deposits provide a unique, stable source of funding for banks, the deposits channel underlies the operativeness of the bank lending channel in South Africa, consistent with theory. |
| Date: | 2024–11–25 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:rbz:wpaper:11072 |