Abstract:
Gender labour market segregation is deeply entrenched across East Africa, with women overrepresented in the informal economy, often pursuing opportunities in agriculture or trade out of financial distress or their need for flexibility to juggle family demands. Formally employed women are more likely to be in clerical support or service and sales roles. Labour segregation has seen women’s economic opportunities disproportionately curtailed by COVID-19. Training initiatives that empower women in household bargaining or encourage men to recognize women’s paid or unpaid work have proven effective in the few settings where it has been studied.
