The “SHE RETIRES” gender-responsive policy framework addresses the key retirement planning risks facing women in Africa and proposes policy interventions that governments, financial institutions, and social protection systems can adopt. The framework highlights four major structural risks affecting women’s retirement security: women’s dominance in informal employment, lifetime income inequality and caregiving interruptions, the financial burden associated with the “pink tax” and healthcare costs

In 2020, only 17.4% of Africans had access to at least one social protection benefit, compared to a global average of 46.9%. The lack of a strong and viable retirement savings institution and culture significantly pushes older people into old-age poverty and economic vulnerability. In addition, it increases economic dependence on Africa's younger population. This 'black tax' leads to the economic impoverishment of the sandwich generation.