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. This latest report underscores the ongoing challenges in achieving gender equality across various regions, particularly in Africa.
According to Global Voices, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) ranks 143rd with a score of 60.1 percent on the Global Gender Gap Index, highlighting significant gender challenges despite the country's rich natural resources. The DRC remains one of the five poorest nations globally and ranks 175th out of 182 countries on the Human Development Index. Inequalities in the DRC are pervasive, with women having limited access to education and decent jobs compared to men.
The report indicates that Pakistan is at the bottom of the list at 148th, scoring 56.7 percent. Sudan, Chad, and Iran follow closely, occupying the 147th, 146th, and 145th positions, respectively. Other African countries in the bottom 10 include Guinea, Niger, Algeria, and Mali. The report further highlights that Liberia, Eswatini, Zambia, and Nigeria rank among the top 25 globally in economic gender parity, while South Africa is positioned 98th.
In terms of educational attainment, Sub-Saharan Africa ranks eighth globally, with notable progress in enrolment parity at all education levels. Botswana, Lesotho, and Namibia have reached full parity in educational attainment. Meanwhile, Cape Verde, Eswatini, and other African nations share the top global position in health and survival with a parity score of 98 percent.
Political empowerment remains a challenge in the region, with Sub-Saharan Africa ranking fifth globally. Ethiopia leads the continent in this subindex, while Nigeria, Eswatini, and Sudan are among the lowest globally. Rwanda stands out as the only African country with full parliamentary gender parity.
Despite some positive trends, the report notes significant challenges in the DRC, where women are underrepresented in political and leadership roles. Societal norms and structural inequalities contribute to this disparity. The impact of climate shocks further exacerbates the divide, affecting women disproportionately in the agricultural sector.
The report also highlights significant improvements in Benin and Zambia, while Togo, Sierra Leone, and Mozambique experienced declines in their gender parity scores. Globally, the gender gap has narrowed slightly, with Iceland maintaining its top position for 16 consecutive years.
The 2025 Global Gender Gap Index underscores the ongoing struggle to achieve full gender parity worldwide, projecting that it will take 123 years to reach this goal at the current pace.
