While gendered data continues to be insufficiently reported upon by law enforcement authorities in Africa, traditional or stereotyped gender norms are believed to play an important part in the gender gap observed in TOC for several reasons.
First, due to the gender-influenced lens, African law enforcement authorities likely fail to investigate women as offenders and continue to perceive them as victims or accomplices only. They are rarely seen as the criminals themselves and less so as being the organizers, leaders, traffickers or recruiters. Second, African women are possibly less interested in turning to criminal activities. Under the social gender roles, TOC is perceived to be a male matter exclusively.
Third, the African gender parity gap (gap in any area between women and men in terms of their levels of participation, access, rights, remuneration, or benefits for example) scores the lowest in the world. African women have less opportunities than their male counterparts on the whole and therefore, similarly, less prospects even in TOC activities.
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