The World bank's Africa Region, in partnership with its clients and stakeholders, has developed a body of analytical and operational work on gender issues illustrating the direct relevance of specific gender characteristics of SSA to the economic and social development of the region. Strategic Gender Issues and Objectives Gender work in Africa suggests that priority be given to four interconnected priority issues and related strategic objectives. Women's central position in economic production in SSA contrasts with the systematic discrimination they face in accessing basic technologies and resources needed for their economic role. This gender-based discrimination limits economic growth . Low levels of education and training, poor health and nutritional status, and limited access to resources depress women's quality of life and hinder economic efficiency and growth.
Female education is the investment with the highest social returns.
It is the catalyst that increases the impact of other investments in health, nutrition, family planning, agriculture, industry, and infrastructure. Design of health interventions must take into account women's specific health needs, with a particular focus on reproductive health, AIDS, and gender violence, their multiple responsibilities, and the demands on their time. Time Poverty-A Critical Gender Dimension of Poverty in Africa Poverty in Africa is pervasive and growing. Regional analysis recognizes that growth is necessary but that the pattern of growth is crucial for sustainable poverty reduction. Poverty in Africa has an important, if difficult to quantify, gender dimension.