Oxfam has reported that the world’s 22 richest men are wealthier than 325 million women in Africa
In its report published on Monday, Oxfam said women around the world, especially those living in poverty, do more than three-quarters of all unpaid work.
It said “it is a global movement of people, working together to end the injustice of poverty.”
Oxfam which published the report ahead of this week’s World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, the charity organisation noted that “the world’s 22 richest men have more wealth than all the 325 million women in Africa.”
It did not elaborate further.
Oxfam, however, argued that the economy is not friendly to women as “many of them worked more than they earn while others do not earn at all.”
Danny Sriskandarajah, chief executive at Oxfam in the report said: “When 22 men have more wealth than all the women in Africa combined, it’s clear that our economy is just plain sexist.
“If world leaders meeting this week are serious about reducing poverty and inequality, they urgently need to invest in care and other public services that make life easier for those with care responsibilities, and tackle discrimination holding back women and girls,” he said.
Beyond, Oxfam said the value of unpaid care work by women, aged 15 and over, is $10.8 trillion annually.
The report also shows that despite the fact that “men own more than 50 per cent wealth than women, they also control government decision making.
“On average, women make up only 18 per cent of cabinet ministers globally and 24 per cent of parliamentarians.”
Also in the report the organisation said “more women are left out of the workforce during their peak productive and reproductive ages, worsening the income gap between men and women.”
The 63-page report revealed that world leaders are not addressing the widening gap between the poor and the rich.
“The world’s total number of 2,153 billionaires had more wealth than the poorest 4.6 billion people, which is more than half the global population.”
The group further urged world leaders to provide free public services and increase taxes on the wealthy.
