Women Empowerment and MDGs in Africa: A Cultural Perspective

In Africa, women are culturally and religiously subordinate to men; and men superiority is based on nature-culture explanation of inequality. Africa has tried to achieve development but seems far from the attainment of 2015 deadline for Millennium Development Goals (MDG), mainly because of the its reluctance to confront the menace of gender inequality and deterrent of women empowerment. Gender equality remained the main thrust of MDGs target. The study highlights retrogressive African cultures that incapacitate women attempts to accept responsibilities in public domain and professional endeavours. The study found that some African traditional values are antithetical to women empowerment, which restricts their education and political participation. The study concludes by reiterating the urgent need for policy makers, national government and womenfolk to accept only those African values that conform to the global drives for the realization of MDG and abolish those harmful to women’s participation in decision-making and developmental activities.