10 African countries where women have it the worst in 2024

Africa’s progress toward gender equality is a testament to women’s persistence and willpower on the continent, as well as the collaborative efforts of all cultures pushing for change. Even though there are many challenges ahead, the progress accomplished thus far is encouraging.

While it is important to celebrate the progress made in female empowerment across Africa, it is counterproductive to ignore the shortcomings in this ongoing struggle. Several African countries have failed to empower their women as much as would be beneficial to their environment and the world at large.

The gender gap in work is further exacerbated by societal expectations surrounding women’s duties, low financial means, and discrimination based on gender.

In some African countries, women are more likely to populate the informal economy, where job security is scarce and pay is lower, due to constraints that prevent them from entering the workforce.

There is also a poor representation of women in parliament in said countries and an alarming gap in the literacy levels between men and women.

These women also stand the risk of high maternal mortality rates, limited access to contraception, and the persistence of harmful practices like female genital mutilation highlighting the critical need to address gender inequities in health.

“The most significant drops in the ranking (for gender gaps 2024) are also negative shifts of over 20 places: Bangladesh (-40, ranked 99th), Lao PDR (-35, ranked 89th), El Salvador (-28, ranked 96th), Rwanda (-27, ranked 39th) and Bhutan (-21, ranked 124th),” as stated by a report by the World Economic Forum.

With that said, here are the 10 African countries where women still experience significant disparities in gender equality. The report ranks a total of 146 countries, with Sudan being the 146th country with the worst gender gap index.