Gender Mainstreaming and Africanizing Social Science Research with Specific Reference to Economics Research

Abstract

Most studies in social sciences have been gender blind, and this blindness hinders attempts to understand the causal mechanisms that create and maintain social patterning in outcomes. It is important to examine the differences and similarities between men and women and focus attention on both potential explanations for socio-economic gradients in various social, political and economic outcomes as well as on potential explanations for gender differences in these outcomes. Also, most of these studies and more so African economics research use examples and mathematical models developed in different environments that are not easily understood by non economists. The outcomes of the research may not necessarily fit into the African environment and may also impact differently on men and women. This paper uses desktop research and proposes gender mainstreaming and Africanise economics research.