Although African countries are still far from achieving gender equality, recent years have seen progress. Some African countries have made the top ten list of the world's most gender equal countries, according to the World Economic Forum (WEF) global gender parity report.
The Global Gender Gap Report examines economic engagement, educational attainment, health, and political empowerment of men and women in 156 nations. When it comes to the African continent, Rwanda and Namibia are the most gender-equal countries, with both countries ranking in the top 10 globally. In this article, we look at the top 10 African countries with the most gender equality.
1 . Namibia
Namibia has remained the continent's best performer in recent years, ranking sixth in the world for gender parity. The country has made progress in bridging the economic, educational, health, and political empowerment gaps between men and women. Women currently hold 44 percent of parliament seats.
2. Rwanda
In the recent World Economic Forum global gender report, Rwanda was ranked second in Africa and seventh globally. Due to an increase in the number of women in parliament, Rwanda has been able to close the gender gap in educational achievement and political empowerment. The east African country has one of the highest female labor force participation rates in the world, at 86 percent.
3.South Africa
South Africa ranks 18th globally and third in Africa in terms of gender parity. It remains the region's greatest performer in terms of political empowerment, with the most women in parliament and ministerial positions. Although South Africa has made progress in terms of women's political empowerment, more can be done to close the wage gap between men and women.
4. Burundi
Burundi is one of the world's poorest countries, yet it has made significant progress in reducing inequality during the last ten years. Burundi is ranked fourth in Africa and 26th globally. Women's participation in the labor force and economic opportunities have improved significantly in the country.
5 Mozambique
Mozambique is ranked 32nd in the world and 5th in Africa. The Southern African country has made significant progress in areas such as women's parliamentary representation, land ownership, and education. Women's representation in the Mozambican parliament has increased dramatically from 25.2 percent in 1997 to 42.4 percent in 2020
6 .Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is Africa's sixth most gender equal country, ranking 47th in the worldwide gender parity index. The closing of the gender gap in Zimbabwe can be linked to an increase in the number of women in political positions. Zimbabwe has narrowed the gender gap by 72% and made progress in wage equality and gender parity in projected earned income.
7. Eswatini
Despite the fact that more work has to be done in Eswatini to empower women, significant progress has been made. Eswatini is ranked 52nd in the world and seventh in the continent. Women have made up about 30% of ministers in the national parliament since 2013. The country has made progress in addressing the educational and health disparities between men and women. But there is still work to be done.
8. Zambia
Zambia is ranked 56 globally and tenth on the African continent for gender equality. Zambia has progressed in terms of economic participation and opportunity, as well as gender equality in terms of healthy life expectancy. The government has made significant progress in ensuring that girls and women have access to high-quality education and life-long learning opportunities.
9. Madagascar
The island nation is ranked 57th in the world and 9th in Africa. In education and healthcare, progress has been made in closing the gender gap. Women, on the other hand, continue to be mostly excluded from political and economic prospects. As of February 2021, only 23% of seats in parliament were held by women.
10. Uganda
Over the last decade, Uganda has made great progress toward gender equality and women's empowerment in the political, economic, and social realms. Uganda is ranked 66 internationally and 10th on the continent. Uganda is one of six nations in the region to have bridged the gender gap in health and survival. Women held 34.9 percent of parliament seats in Uganda as of February 2021. However, Uganda still has work to do to achieve gender equality.
More countries should focus on the gender gap, not just because it is intrinsically unfair, but also because several studies show that greater gender equality leads to improved economic performance. Indeed, disparities between men and women in health, education, politics, and economics must be bridged.