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 in terms of gender parity. Pakistan ranks at the bottom, positioned 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 nations 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, the report highlights that Liberia (86.5 percent), Eswatini (85.6 percent), Zambia, and Nigeria (76.2 percent) are among the top 25 globally in the economic category, ranking 2nd, 3rd, and 24th, respectively, while South Africa is placed 98th. In contrast, Sudan (31.3 percent) and Egypt (40.6 percent) are among the bottom five worldwide, reflecting low earned-income ratios and minimal female representation in leadership roles.
Sub-Saharan Africa ranks eighth in educational attainment, scoring 85.6 percent, marking an increase of 5.2 percentage points since 2006. This improvement is largely due to enhanced enrollment parity across all educational levels. Notably, women surpass men in tertiary enrollment rates. Botswana, Lesotho, and Namibia are among the 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 are among the 17 countries sharing the top global position with a parity score of 98 percent. Meanwhile, Liberia (95.5 percent) and Algeria (95.4 percent) are within the bottom 10 globally on this metric.
On the political empowerment front, Sub-Saharan Africa ranks fifth globally with a score of 22.2 percent. Ethiopia leads the continent, placing 12th worldwide with 48.9 percent. Conversely, Nigeria (3.6 percent), Eswatini (3.6 percent), and Sudan (3.0 percent) rank among the lowest globally, occupying the 143rd, 144th, and 146th positions, respectively. Rwanda is the only African economy to have achieved full parliamentary gender parity, with women holding 50 percent or more of legislative seats. South Africa and Ethiopia have also reached gender parity in their ministerial cabinets.
Despite these challenges, some African countries have shown significant improvement. Benin recorded the most notable progress, gaining 4.6 percentage points and climbing 21 places to reach the 113th position. Zambia also made strides, jumping 13 places to 79th. However, Togo and Sierra Leone experienced declines of 5.3 and 3.1 percentage points, ranking 121st and 112th, respectively. Mozambique dropped 26 places to 53rd, while Nigeria improved slightly to rank 124th, even as Kenya fell 23 places to 98th.
The global gender gap has narrowed slightly from 68.4 percent in 2024 to 68.8 percent in 2025. This modest progress is primarily driven by advancements in Political Empowerment and Economic Participation and Opportunity. At the global level, Iceland remains the leader on the Global Gender Gap Index, maintaining the top position for 16 consecutive years and being the only economy to have closed more than 90 percent of its gender gap since 2022.