Kinshasa: The World Economic Forum (WEF) has released its Global Gender Gap Report 2025, revealing that seven African countries are among the ten lowest-ranked nations worldwide in terms of gender parity. In this latest edition, Pakistan holds the lowest position, ranked 148th out of 148 economies, with a gender parity score of 56.7 percent. Following Pakistan are Sudan (57.0 percent, 147th), Chad (57.1 percent, 146th), and Iran (58.3 percent, 145th). Other African countries in the bottom 10 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).
According to Global Voices, Liberia (86.5 percent), Eswatini (85.6 percent), Zambia, and Nigeria (76.2 percent) rank among the top 25 globally in economic participation and opportunity, at 2nd, 3rd, and 24th positions, respectively. South Africa, however, ranks 98th. Conversely, Sudan (31.3 percent) and Egypt (40.6 percent) are among the bottom five globally, showcasing extremely low earned-income ratios and minimal representation of women in leadership roles.
Sub-Saharan Africa ranks eighth in educational attainment with a score of 85.6 percent, an improvement of 5.2 percentage points since 2006, primarily due to enhanced enrolment parity across all education levels. Notably, women surpass men in tertiary enrolment rates. Botswana, Lesotho, and Namibia are among 41 countries globally that have achieved full parity in educational attainment.
In terms of health and survival, Cape Verde, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mauritius, Namibia, and Uganda lead globally with a parity score of 98 percent. Conversely, Liberia (95.5 percent) and Algeria (95.4 percent) fall within the bottom 10 on this metric. Sub-Saharan Africa ranks fifth globally on political empowerment, scoring 22.2 percent. Ethiopia leads the continent, ranking 12th worldwide with 48.9 percent. In contrast, Nigeria (3.6 percent), Eswatini (3.6 percent), and Sudan (3.0 percent) are among the lowest globally.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) faces significant gender challenges, ranking 143rd with a score of 60.1 percent on the Global Gender Gap Index. Despite its rich natural resources, the DRC remains one of the world’s poorest nations, as reported by the World Bank Group. According to a UN policy brief, the DRC exhibits significant gender inequalities, with few women accessing decent jobs and girls less likely to be educated than boys.
Byobe Malenga, a multimedia journalist in Kinshasa, highlights the underrepresentation of women in parliament, local governments, political parties, and leadership roles. Structural inequalities and social norms contribute to women’s marginalization in decision-making spheres. Barriers to political inclusion include lack of funding, sexism, political violence, and limited education access.
Despite constitutional provisions for gender equality, women occupy only 7.2 percent of the highest decision-making positions at the national level in the DRC. Climate shocks exacerbate the divide, disproportionately impacting women who constitute 73 percent of the agricultural workforce. The World Bank Group reports that only 16.8 percent of Congolese women complete secondary school, half the rate of men.
Benin recorded the most significant improvement on the continent, climbing 21 places to 113th position. Zambia also progressed, jumping 13 places to 79th. However, Togo and Sierra Leone experienced declines, placing 121st and 112th, respectively. Mozambique dropped 26 places to 53rd, while Nigeria rose one step to rank 124th. Kenya fell 23 places to 98th.
Globally, the gender gap has narrowed slightly from 68.4 percent in 2024 to 68.8 percent in 2025, driven by improvements in Political Empowerment and Economic Participation and Opportunity. Iceland continues to lead the Global Gender Gap Index, holding the top position for 16 consecutive years, and remains the only economy to have closed over 90 percent of its gender gap since 2022. The 2025 report highlights that no economy has achieved full gender parity, and at the current pace, it will take 123 years to reach it globally.