Madagascar
Extreme Fragility, Extreme Inequality
A collection with Amref Health Africa for women’s rights
In Madagascar, women’s status is shaped by a context of widespread economic and institutional fragility. Poverty, environmental vulnerability, and weak public services make gender equality a particularly complex challenge. Here, inequality is not only about access to power, but about everyday living conditions.
Political Representation: Limited Visibility
Women’s presence in institutions remains limited and is not supported by structured quota mechanisms. Women participate actively in community life and local economies, yet political representation is fragile and inconsistent, to put it mildly. In a context marked by economic instability, access to leadership is often mediated by resources and power networks that are predominantly male.
Economy and Work: An Invisible Contribution
Women play a central role in agriculture and subsistence economies, producing a significant share of food and sustaining family survival. However, they work in conditions of extreme vulnerability, with limited access to land, credit, and productive tools. High female participation does not translate into control over resources. The country’s broader economic fragility amplifies dependence and restricts spaces for autonomy.
Education and rights
Access to primary education is formally close to parity, but completion rates remain low. Poverty, early marriage, and adolescent pregnancy frequently interrupt girls’ schooling. Health services are limited, and maternal mortality remains high. In this context, the gap between rights on paper and rights in practice is particularly evident.
Treedom and Amref
In Madagascar, Treedom works in the most vulnerable rural areas, supporting agricultural communities through agroforestry projects that generate income and strengthen food security. Actively involving women in nursery management and tree care offers not only economic opportunities, but also tangible social recognition. Amref operates on the health and empowerment front, promoting access to maternal healthcare services and programs aimed at combating discrimination and gender-based violence. In a fragile context, every intervention that strengthens women’s autonomy contributes to breaking a cycle of structural vulnerability.
