This REAF policy revision paper is an insightful and necessary intervention in the ongoing struggle to ensure meaningful labour mobility and inclusion across West Africa. It does more than diagnose structural weaknesses, it proposes practical, community-sensitive solutions that mirror the lived realities of many African women.
As someone who has spent years advocating for gender-responsive migration policies and financial inclusion for women through platforms like the Raising Women Initiative and our upcoming programme “The Woman: Her Worth, Wealth and Wellbeing” I found particular value in the paper’s grounded approach.
The three key actions proposed “No Shame Loans,” “Norms-Disruptor Trainings,” and “Story Clinics” are, in my view, the best part of the paper. They speak powerfully to psychosocial and cultural realities that most policy papers sideline. One line that truly stood out was the recognition that:
“Self-exclusion from opportunity is not a reflection of lack of ambition but a response to social and structural environments that make agency difficult to exercise.” (As quoted in your paper)
This rings sooo deeply true. In environments that loudly claim to support women, self-exclusion remains rampant. It’s an invisible barrier that silently sabotages Africa’s inclusive development agendas. particularly the goals of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). No amount of trade liberalisation will be successful if women are too burdened by norms, shame, and digital distrust to participate.
In that regard, I must echo and reinforce one of the paper’s most underlined truths: mobile money is not a panacea. Despite the surge in fintech solutions, digital distrust persists, especially among women in informal economies. I have personally raised this issue in my attempt to secure a partnership with a Fintech for our Women’s Financial Literacy programme, and it remains a critical blind spot.
Where this paper excels is in embracing a holistic approach, one that moves beyond economic metrics to acknowledge social identity, power dynamics, and perception. That is precisely the philosophy behind our upcoming initiative, which aims to combine wealth education with wellbeing and self-worth.
Just a few critic though would be these:
– While the gender dimension is acknowledged, the paper could benefit from more concrete, disaggregated examples on how women are uniquely impacted by current mobility policies. A few case studies or regional statistics would bolster its argument.
– There is limited discussion on youth-specific barriers, despite youth making up the majority of the region’s migrating labour force.
– Implementation pathways are underdeveloped. A phased roadmap or a model policy structure would enhance the document’s usability for policymakers.
This paper will certainly provoke the thoughts of key stakeholders. It challenges anyone we cared to reimagine economic access not as a privilege, but as a right that must be facilitated with sensitivity to context, culture, and confidence. I honestly look forward to collaborating with you behind this work, because empowerment is only meaningful when it is actionable and this paper has laid the groundwork for just that.
Dr May Ikeora-Amamgbo would be shedding more light on her Review at REAF upcoming webinar in August 2025. Sign up for the webinar: bit.ly/reafwebinar