Kinshasa: The World Economic Forum (WEF) has released its Global Gender Gap Report 2025, highlighting that seven African countries are among the ten lowest-ranked nations worldwide in terms of gender parity.
According to Global Voices, the report places Pakistan at the very bottom at 148th out of 148 economies, with a gender parity score of 56.7 percent. Following closely are Sudan (57.0 percent, 147th), Chad (57.1 percent, 146th), and Iran (58.3 percent, 145th). Other African countries in the bottom ten include Guinea (59.5 percent, 144th), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (60.1 percent, 143rd), Niger (61.3 percent, 142nd), Algeria (61.4 percent, 141st), and Mali (61.7 percent, 140th).
The report reveals that Liberia (86.5 percent), Eswatini (85.6 percent), Zambia, and Nigeria (76.2 percent) rank among the top 25 globally in economic participation, at 2nd, 3rd, and 24th, respectively, with South Africa at 98th. However, Sudan (31.3 percent) and Egypt (40.6 percent) are among the bottom five globally, with low earned-income ratios and minimal representation of women in leadership roles.
Sub-Saharan Africa ranks eighth globally in educational attainment, with a score of 85.6 percent. This improvement is primarily driven by increased enrolment parity across all education levels. Notably, Botswana, Lesotho, and Namibia have achieved full parity in educational attainment.
In health and survival, Cape Verde, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mauritius, Namibia, and Uganda share the top global position with a parity score of 98 percent. Liberia (95.5 percent) and Algeria (95.4 percent) fall within the bottom ten in this metric.
On political empowerment, Sub-Saharan Africa ranks fifth globally, scoring 22.2 percent. Ethiopia leads the continent, placing 12th worldwide with 48.9 percent. Rwanda is the only African country to have achieved full parliamentary gender parity, with women holding over 50 percent of legislative seats.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), ranked 143rd with a score of 60.1 percent on the index, faces significant gender challenges despite its vast natural resources. According to a UN policy brief, women in the DRC have limited access to decent jobs and education compared to men. Byobe Malenga, a journalist based in Kinshasa, highlights the underrepresentation of women in parliament and leadership roles, citing social norms and structural inequalities as major barriers.
Despite the progress in some areas, the global gender gap has only slightly narrowed from 68.4 percent in 2024 to 68.8 percent in 2025. Iceland remains the top country on the Global Gender Gap Index, closing more than 90 percent of its gender gap since 2022. The report notes it will take 123 years to achieve full global gender parity at the current pace.