On September 3rd (2019), Oxfam launched the briefing paper “A Tale of Two Continents: Fighting Inequality in Africa” during The World Economic Forum on Africa Meeting in Cape Town, South Africa.

The briefing paper discusses how, despite the recent spate of economic growth, the African continent remains afflicted by entrenched poverty and alarmingly high and rising inequality. The gap between rich and poor is greater than in any other region of the world apart from Latin America, and in many African countries this gap continues to grow. In this context, the prospects of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and Agenda 2063 are severely
diminished.

The paper speaks more about debt, economic inequalities, an international tax system that is rigged against Africa, gender inequalities and how the disproportionate responsibility for unpaid care and domestic work not only restricts women from taking up paid work and taking part in schooling and skills training but also how it limits women’s participation in public and political life.

The paper is available for download (in French and English) here.

Oxfam International director Winnie Byanyima discussed the findings of the report during an eNCA broadcast: