Why Poor Women In Africa Earn More Than Their Husbands, And The Power And Politics Behind It

The gender pay gap is increasingly a focus for many working on gender equality. Often when a story of inequality is written, a picture is carefully selected and often the picture is that of a rural woman in her garden, hoe in hand, ploughing the ground in the mid-day hot sun. Empowerment of women in countries like mine is packaged as something meant for only this "rural poor woman". But research would tell us that the story of inequality and the need for economic empowerment is a complex one.

According to recent data from the Kenya Demographic and Health Survey (DHS), among women with no education, 14.5% earn more money than their husbands and this margin decreases with education status. By the time a woman is in university, only about 9.8% can earn more than their husbands. About 56.1% of women with no education earn less than their husbands, compared to 75.6% of women with post-secondary education.

"The data shows that contrary to expectation, the likelihood that a woman earns more than her husband decreases rather than increases with education and wealth."

Christine Mungai calls this an "African paradox", though she is not sure how well spread this is outside the continent. She explains the phenomenon connecting the late 80s privatisation of African parastatals and services which lead to retrenchment of workers - mostly men. In the wake of this, men met with attitudes toward work at the informal level that made their options fewer. Perceptions of what is a women's job shaped the job market. And at informal levels, the piece alludes there are more options for women than in the formal sector where gender gaps persist.

Mungai also points to the fact that more educated women likely seek more educated and wealthier partners - she says they "marry up".

The other vital observation is about financial decision-making. Women who earn less than their husbands are more likely to decide for themselves how to spend the money, giving them more independence.

The piece highlights the complex world of women in workplaces and how research is key to getting the most appropriate approaches to ensure female economic empowerment.