How African countries ranked on the World Economic Forum's gender gap report

July 13, 2025

The World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Report 2025 reveals seven African countries among the bottom ten nations worldwide in gender parity rankings, with Pakistan at the very bottom. The report measures gender equality across four dimensions: economic participation, educational attainment, health and survival, and political empowerment, with Sub-Saharan Africa ranking sixth out of eight regions globally with a 68. 0% gender parity score.

Who is affected

Women and girls across Africa, particularly in the seven African countries ranking in the bottom ten globally (Sudan, Chad, Guinea, Democratic Republic of Congo, Niger, Algeria, and Mali)
Women in the Democratic Republic of Congo, who represent 73% of the agricultural workforce yet face significant barriers to education and political representation
Female workers, students, and political participants throughout Sub-Saharan Africa, especially in countries with the lowest gender parity scores
Women in countries like Sudan with extremely low earned-income ratios and minimal representation in leadership roles
Women in regions facing climate shocks that disproportionately impact female agricultural workers

What action is being taken

The World Economic Forum is tracking gender parity across 148 economies through its annual Global Gender Gap Report
Rwanda is maintaining full parliamentary gender parity with women holding 50% or more of legislative seats
South Africa and Ethiopia have achieved gender parity in their ministerial cabinets
Some African nations are making improvements in educational attainment, with Botswana, Lesotho, and Namibia having reached full parity in this area
Benin has recorded significant improvement, gaining 4.6 percentage points and climbing 21 places to reach 113th position

Why it matters

The gender gap data reveals structural inequalities women face globally, providing a data-driven lens on disparities
Despite constitutional provisions in countries like DRC establishing legal equality, women remain severely underrepresented in decision-making positions
Climate shocks are deepening gender divides, particularly affecting women who comprise the majority of agricultural workers in some regions
Educational disparities persist, with significantly fewer women than men completing secondary education in countries like DRC
The slow pace of improvement (projected 123 years to reach global gender parity) indicates the need for more focused interventions

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: Global Voices