COM 2026: Ministerial dialogue calls for urgent action to boost women’s financial inclusion for Africa’s growth

Tangier, Morocco, 1 April 2026 - A Ministerial Policy Dialogue concluded in Tangier today with calls for stronger action to fast-track women's financial and economic inclusion, warning that slow progress is limiting opportunities for women and holding back Africa's growth.

The Dialogue on the African Women's Decade on Financial and Economic Inclusion was co-organised by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the African Center for Economic Transformation (ACET) alongside the 2026 Conference of African Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development (COM 2026).

Discussions focused on how governments can elevate women's financial inclusion as a core economic priority, using Africa-led evidence to inform finance ministers' policy decisions.

Participants drew on key Africa-led tools, including the African Gender and Development Index, the Africa Gender Index, and the African Women's Inclusion Index, to ground discussions in data on policy commitments, progress and women's lived economic realities.

'A governance problem'

Opening the dialogue, Ms. Nadia Alaoui, Morocco's Minister of Economy and Finance, described women's financial and economic exclusion not just as a women's issue, but as a governance issue, adding that Africa will never transform its economy without women.

She said: "We face a reality we must acknowledge. Women are trained, but they are not hired. They are hired but not promoted. They are present but not deciding. This is not a pipeline issue. It is a governance problem."

She stressed that progress depends on who makes decisions and how resources are allocated.

"Inclusion will never be complete without women being part of decision-making. We will not transform our economies by including women in numbers and excluding them from power," she added.

Ms Alaoui also highlighted the role of data, technology and innovation in driving change, noting that data makes women visible, technology makes inclusion scalable, and innovation makes it real.

She pointed to reforms in Morocco, including improved access to transport, childcare and financial services, as practical steps to support women's participation in the economy.

'Cost of exclusion'

Ms. Hanan Morsy, Deputy Executive Secretary (Programme) and Chief Economist at ECA, said progress on women's economic empowerment continues to fall short despite recent gains.

She noted that around 89 per cent of women in Africa are in informal employment, with limited access to social protection or financial services, while the digital economy is worsening exclusion.

Ms. Morsy said: "Closing gender gaps can boost economic growth, yet our ability to measure these losses remains constrained by serious data gaps. The less we measure, the more we undervalue both the cost of exclusion and the benefits of reform. Without gender-responsive data, we are effectively making policy with partial sight. This is something we can no longer afford."

She called on policymakers to elevate women's inclusion as a core economic priority, invest in closing data gaps, and ensure financial and digital systems are designed to include women from the outset.

"If we align financial reforms with the realities of women's lives, we will not only advance equality, but we will also unlock a powerful engine of productivity, resilience and inclusive growth across Africa," Ms. Morsy added.

'A sobering reality'

Ms. Theophiline Bose-Duker, Senior Economist at ACET, said: "Progress is not happening fast enough. Africa's average inclusion score has risen from 45.6 in 2011 to 53.5 in 2022. But at this pace, full inclusion will not be achieved until 2093. That is a sobering reality."

She noted that while many countries have adopted gender equality policies, implementation remains limited due to gaps in funding, data and institutional coordination.

To accelerate progress, Ms. Bose-Duker called for sustained investment in gender data systems, more inclusive digital infrastructure designed with women in mind, stronger integration of gender priorities into finance ministries, and better use of existing tools to track progress and hold governments accountable.

The dialogue also featured a fireside chat with Ms. Zuzana Schwidrowski, Director of ECA's Socio-Economic Development Division; Ms. Keiso Matashane-Marite, Chief of ECA's Women and Youth Empowerment Section; and Ms. Adamnesh A. Bogale, Head of Gender at ACET.

The discussion focused on practical solutions to better support women to start and grow productive businesses, access decent jobs and build more secure livelihoods. These included investing in care systems to free up women's time for paid work, formalising informal work to extend protection and access to finance, and expanding digital literacy and access to reduce exclusion.

The dialogue's outcomes will contribute to the continental efforts under the African Union's Women's Decade on Financial and Economic Inclusion, which aims to accelerate progress in closing gender gaps across Africa's economies.

Issued by:
Communications Section
Economic Commission for Africa
PO Box 3001
Addis Ababa
Ethiopia
Tel: +251 11 551 5826
E-mail: [email protected]