ABSTRACT
Women's standard of living in sub-Saharan Africa depends largely on two factors. The first is the general economic conditions in the region. The second factor is the underlying gender relations, which are crucial in determining how the work loads and benefits of development are shared. According to the model, women's welfare increases with income and decreases with work loads. In women's other sphere of activity, productive work, the opportunities available and the effectiveness with which work is converted into income also depend on the interactions of economic conditions and gender relations. In addition to work loads, women's standard of living also depends on the size and security of their income. Women's employment patterns in industry have tended to reflect gender segregation similar to that found in the rest of the world. As in agriculture, industrial technological change has acted both to displace and to provide additional employment for women.
