Women play a key role in Madagascar’s economy, but they still face significant barriers to stable and better jobs. Figures from the International Labour Organisation show that Madagascar records one of the highest rates of female labour force participation globally, at 84 percent. However, most women work in low-paid, informal, and vulnerable jobs. According to the World Bank Group, 32 percent are in subsistence farming, 14 percent are contributing family workers, and only 24 percent have wage employment, compared to 35 percent of men.
These gaps do not start in the job market. They start much earlier, with unequal access to education and skills, rigid social expectations, and limited pathways into formal employment. For many women, especially in rural areas, the transition from school to work is difficult: the jobs available rarely match their skills, and they have little control over their economic choices. In response, programmes like SIPEM Banque’s Vehivavy Mijoro are beginning to redefine what economic inclusion looks like in practice.
The Vehivavy Mijoro programme: targeted inclusion for vulnerable women
The Vehivavy Mijoro programme, led by SIPEM Banque, is a focused effort to support women facing difficult circumstances. It brings together training, access to financial services, and tailored support for women starting or growing their own businesses.
The programme began by supporting 15 women, offering professional training through partner organisations, business development advice, and financial support throughout. The goal is to help women build lasting businesses, ones that allow them to support themselves, their families, and their wider communities.
Over time, the programme has evolved by listening closely to its participants. Regular feedback sessions help keep women motivated, surface the challenges they face, and adapt support to meet their needs as they change. This approach reflects a clear understanding: that financial inclusion must respond to the real situations women face in fragile and informal economies.
The barriers limiting women’s access to stable work and income
Labour force participation in Madagascar may be high, but women are consistently locked out of stable, well-paid roles and are far more likely to work in informal or low-productivity jobs. The gender wage gap tells part of the story. According to the World Bank Group, women earn a median monthly income of around 106,667 MGA (approximately USD 24), compared to 150,000 MGA (approximately USD 34) for men, a gap of nearly 29 percent.
Several structural barriers reinforce this inequality. Women have fewer opportunities for vocational training, and there is often a mismatch between what education provides and what the labour market needs. Discriminatory hiring practices compound the problem further. In rural areas, the absence of formal jobs means many women have little choice but to turn to agriculture or informal self-employment.
Women and girls also shoulder the majority of unpaid domestic work, leaving them with less time for education, training, or income-generating activity. Environmental pressures, particularly climate-related shocks, make this burden heavier still, increasing the time spent on basic tasks like collecting water and fuel.
Building lasting economic pathways for women
What sets the Vehivavy Mijoro programme apart is its long-term focus. Rather than offering short-term training and moving on, it combines financial support, skills development, and ongoing mentoring to address several barriers at once. The underlying recognition is that women face multiple, overlapping reasons for being excluded from economic opportunity, and that overcoming them requires more than a single solution.
This approach reflects a broader reality in Madagascar, where women’s economic marginalisation is closely tied to limited access to assets, finance, and decision-making power. In that context, even small income-generating activities can make a meaningful difference, building household resilience and reducing vulnerability to unexpected shocks.
