The culture, evolution, and history of women who were born in, live in, and are from the continent of Africa reflect the evolution and history of the African continent itself.
A Congolese woman asserts women's rights with the message 'The mother is as important as the father' printed on her pagne, 2015.
A group of women from Limuru in central Kenya, 2010.
Woman from liberated Guinea-Bissau, 1974
Female soldier of the PAIGC liberation army playing cards, Guinea-Bissau, 1973
Feminization of poverty refers to a trend of increasing inequality in living standards between men and women due to the widening gender gap in poverty. This phenomenon largely links to how women and children are disproportionately represented within the lower socioeconomic status community in comparison to men within the same socioeconomic status. Causes of the feminization of poverty include the structure of family and household, employment, sexual violence, education, climate change, "femonomics" and health. The traditional stereotypes of women remain embedded in many cultures restricting income opportunities and community involvement for many women. Matched with a low foundation income, this can manifest to a cycle of poverty and thus an inter-generational issue.
Mothers often experience poverty more extremely because they have more demands on time, energy and resources. This woman farmer in Northern Kenya is part of a mother support group that creates peer support across 13 mothers, to learn about parenting and economic practices.
"Unemployable uterus", a graffito in Ljubljana, Slovenia