Advancing Gender Equality, Human Rights, and Inclusive Development Across Africa
The Initiative for Gender Equality and Development in Africa (IGED-Africa) works to advance gender equality, human rights, women’s empowerment, and inclusive development across Africa through advocacy, research, capacity building, mentorship, policy engagement, and strategic partnerships.
Mission
To promote the effective attainment of gender equality, human rights and inclusive participation of women and girls through strategic engagement and partnership, empowerment and capacity development, evidenced based research, advocacy and networking for sustainable development.
Vision
A peaceful and inclusive society that upholds gender equality, respect human rights and empower women and girls for sustainable development.
IGED-Africa’s work is rooted in the belief that sustainable development cannot be achieved without addressing the systemic inequalities that limit the rights, opportunities, safety, participation, and economic security of women, girls, and marginalized groups. Across Africa, many communities continue to face barriers linked to gender-based discrimination, unequal access to resources, harmful social norms, violence, poverty, insecurity, and exclusion from decision-making processes.
Through its programmes, IGED-Africa works with governments, civil society organizations, development partners, private sector actors, academic institutions, traditional authorities, community leaders, and local communities to promote inclusive, just, and resilient societies.
Our work is organized around four key programme areas.
Gender and Development
The Gender and Development Programme is IGED-Africa’s core strategic programme dedicated to advancing gender equality and promoting inclusive, sustainable development.
This programme addresses the social, economic, political, and legal barriers that limit the participation and opportunities of women, girls, and marginalized groups. It supports gender-responsive policies, strengthens women’s leadership, challenges harmful gender norms, and promotes the integration of gender perspectives into development planning, governance, education, health, economic empowerment, environmental sustainability, and community development.
Through this programme, IGED-Africa works to ensure that gender equality is recognized not only as a human rights issue, but also as a foundation for social justice, poverty reduction, economic growth, and sustainable development.
Women’s Property and Inheritance Rights
The Women’s Property and Inheritance Rights Programme is one of IGED-Africa’s flagship initiatives. It promotes and protects women’s rights to own, inherit, access, control, and benefit from land, housing, and other productive assets.
Across many African communities, women continue to face discrimination in property ownership and inheritance due to customary practices, unequal inheritance systems, limited awareness of legal rights, and inadequate access to legal and financial services. These barriers contribute to poverty, economic dependency, food insecurity, and gender inequality.
IGED-Africa works to empower women and girls with knowledge, legal support, advocacy opportunities, and resources to secure and exercise their property rights. The programme also engages traditional, religious, and community leaders to address harmful practices and support gender-responsive legal and policy reforms.
Gender, Peace and Security
The Gender, Peace and Security Programme advances the participation, protection, rights, and leadership of women and girls in conflict prevention, peacebuilding, conflict resolution, humanitarian response, and post-conflict recovery.
Women and girls are often disproportionately affected by conflict, violent extremism, displacement, political instability, and humanitarian crises. They face increased risks of gender-based violence, economic exclusion, and human rights violations, while remaining underrepresented in peace negotiations, security institutions, governance structures, and decision-making processes.
Through this programme, IGED-Africa promotes women’s leadership in peace and security, strengthens protection mechanisms, supports community-based conflict prevention, and advocates for gender-responsive security and governance systems.
Women’s Economic and Financial Inclusion
The Women’s Economic and Financial Inclusion Programme promotes women’s economic empowerment, financial independence, and equitable participation in economic development.
Despite women’s significant contributions to African economies, many continue to face barriers such as limited access to finance, unequal pay, restricted property ownership, low financial literacy, inadequate business support, limited access to markets and technology, and exclusion from formal financial systems.
IGED-Africa works to create an enabling environment where women can access resources, build sustainable livelihoods, grow businesses, accumulate assets, and participate fully in economic decision-making. The programme supports financial literacy, entrepreneurship development, access to finance, policy advocacy, and partnerships that unlock women’s economic potential.
Our Approach
Across all programme areas, IGED-Africa combines community engagement with policy advocacy and institutional partnerships. Its work links lived experiences on the ground with national, regional, and international human rights frameworks.
Through research, advocacy, capacity building, mentorship, legal empowerment, and strategic collaboration, IGED-Africa works to ensure that gender equality is translated from policy commitments into practical change in the lives of women, girls, families, and communities.
At the heart of IGED-Africa’s work is a commitment to building an Africa where everyone can live with dignity, access opportunities, claim their rights, and contribute meaningfully to sustainable development.
