Togo among top economies in terms of gender equality in Africa

Economic governance

Friday, 17 January 2020 11:26

Togo among top economies in terms of gender equality in Africa

(Togo First) - Togo is one of the best-ranked countries in the World Bank’s Women, Business and the Law 2020 report.

The report measures how laws affect women, professionally mostly, in 190 countries. It also looks at reforms undertaken by businesses between June 2017 and September 2019, across eight areas that are associated with women’s economic empowerment.

According to the World Bank report, Togolese women enjoy 84% as much rights as men benefit from. This is above the average in sub-Saharan Africa. However, while more reforms to enhance gender equality have emerged in the region, in recent years, women still suffer a lack of political will in this regard.

In Togo, women and men enjoy the same rights, relative to freedom of movement, employment, wages, and retirement pensions.

In regards to property and inheritance however, women in this West African country only have 80% of the rights men have.

The gap is far wider for marriage, maternity, and entrepreneurship. Legal constraints regarding the first have increased over the period reviewed. For the second - maternity - the World Bank reports that many laws keep impacting, negatively, the work-life of mothers.

In the area of entrepreneurship, there are still barriers impeding business creation and management by women. According to data from the Togolese center for business formalities (CFE), women held only 27% of businesses created in 2019. This is slightly above what was recorded the year before; In spite of the government’s promise to set aside 25% (up from 20% previously) of procurements for youths and women.

At the regional and global levels, laws enhancing women’s economic empowerment have improved in the past two years, the Bretton Woods body notes.

In Africa, Togo is behind Mauritius, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Cape Verde, Sao Tomé and Principe, and Tanzania.

Fiacre E. Kakpo

REFORMS OVERVIEW

STARTING A BUSINESS (more info)

At the fifteenth position, worldwide, and first in Africa, under the Starting a Business index of the 2020 Doing Business ranking, Togo sustains its reformative dynamics with more reforms….

ENFORCING CONTRACTS (more info)

Compared to some years ago when it was one of the lowest rankers under the Doing Business’ Enforcing Contracts indicator, Togo, leveraging many efforts to improve its business climate, was able to jump significantly on the index in the recent years... .

CONTRACT EXECUTION (more info)

Creation of special chambers of commerce for small debts • Creation of chambers of commerce at the Court of Appeal • Civil and commercial cases now handled by distinct clerks • Establishment of commercial courts in Lomé and Kara • Lawyers and bailiffs now have access to the FORSETI COMMERCIAL platform • A maximum period of 100 days was fixed to settle a commercial dispute .

TRADING ACROSS BORDERS (more info)

In comparison to previous years,Togo has significantly improved its ranking under the“Trading across borders” indicator by adopting multiple reforms that focus mainly on the digitization and reduction in delays, for import and export procedures related to import and export.

In comparison to previous years, Togo has significantly improved its ranking on the “Trading across borders” index by adopting multiple reforms that focus mainly on the digitalization and reduction in delays, for import and export procedures related to import and export.

CONSTRUCTION PERMIT (more info)

After moving from the 133rd to 127th place under the 2020 Doing Business’ construction permit index, Togo intends to reiterate this feat in the coming edition of the global ranking. To this end, it has introduced this year multiple reforms.

GETTING ELECTRICITY (more info)

Over the past two years, Togo’s ranking under the Doing Business’ Getting electricity and water indicator has increased consistently. Owing this performance to multiple reforms aimed at making it easier for businesses to access power and water, Lomé plans to introduce even more reforms this year to keep up its improvements.

REGISTERING A PROPERTY (more info)

Out of all the 'Doing Business’ indicators, Property Registration is where Togo has improved the most since 2018. Indeed, after spending years in the lowest part of this ranking, the country now seeks to beat Rwanda which is the best performer on this index in Africa. To do so, Lomé has been introducing many reforms, with the latest batch implemented this year.

PUBLIC PROCUREMENT (more info)

From professionalization to digitization, through legislative regulations, Togo’s public procurement framework is constantly being modernized. Several reforms have been implemented to improve the sector much to the benefit of the private sector, which is the focus of the National Development Plan.

PAYING TAXES AND DUTIES (more info)

To improve its business environment, Togo introduced some important reforms related to the payment of tax and duties. From the replacement of some taxes to the cancellation of others through exemptions, the country has only one objective: offer the most attractive tax framework to investors and economic operators. To achieve this, the authorities relied on digitization.