COST OF GENDER DISPARITIES IN ACCESS TO SOCIO ECONOMIC SERVICES IN MALAWI

Abstract

Cost benefit analyses of increasing men’s and women’s literacy and access to agriculture services as planned in the Malawi Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper show that there are substantial net economic benefits in implementing the plans. But the analyses also show that there are significant incremental net economic benefits of doing this while closing the gender disparities in access to these services. It is also shown to be economically worthwhile to implement activities of the National Plan to end Gender Based Violence. With these benefits, GDP can grow at a rate that is at least twice the average annual growth rate of the past five years.