Les Barrières Economiques et Sociales à l’Emancipation des Femmes : Approches Microéconomiques en Contexte Africain

Despite significant progress in human development across Africa, women and girls have not equally shared in these gains. Gender inequalities in health, education, economic empowerment, and protection from violence remain deeply entrenched, undermining the region's development potential. This thesis investigates how women’s outcomes respond to economic development and legal reforms, emphasizing the role of economic constraints and social norms in shaping their effectiveness.The first chapter examines the impact of child marriage bans across 12 African countries, focusing on how economic shocks affect their effectiveness. The chapter shows that while bans reduce early marriage in urban areas, they are ineffective in rural areas. Among ethnic groups where the bride's family receives a financial transfer from the groom upon marriage, bans decrease child marriage under stable economic conditions, but droughts significantly undermine the law’s effectiveness, as families use early marriage to cope financially. The findings stress that formal laws alone are insufficient when not accompanied by economic support and norm-sensitive approaches.The second chapter explores whether laws banning female genital mutilation (FGM) reduce its prevalence and under what conditions. Using data from over 800,000 women across 18 countries, the chapter documents that laws significantly reduce FGM, especially when enforcement is credible. It also investigates the possibility of underreporting: after FGM is made illegal, some women may be less willing to disclose their experience due to fear or stigma. The paper identifies patterns suggestive of social desirability bias in reported FGM rates, highlighting the need for caution when interpreting survey data. Nonetheless, the findings confirm that even when accounting for potential misreporting, anti-FGM laws lead to meaningful reductions in prevalence.The third chapter evaluates whether economic development improves maternal and child health at the local level. Using nighttime lights as a proxy for local economic activity, it links geospatial data to health outcomes from household surveys across 10 African countries between 2003 and 2018. The analysis reveals that economic development is associated with lower fertility, better access to healthcare services, and better child health outcomes.