Sub-Saharan Africa projected to take 102 years to close gender gap, WEF
Sub-Saharan Africa has closed 68.8% of its overall gender gap, but at the current pace, the region is projected to take another 102 years to achieve full gender parity. The post Sub-Saharan Africa projected to take 102 years to close gender gap, WEF appeared first on Nairametrics .
According to the World Economic Forum's 2026 Global Gender Gap Report, Sub-Saharan Africa has closed 68.8% of its overall gender gap, but at the current rate, it will take an additional 102 years to achieve full gender parity. This report ranks Sub-Saharan Africa as the sixth region globally in terms of gender parity.
Namibia stands out as the leading economy in this region, having closed 84.5% of its gender gap and ranking fourth globally. On the other hand, Chad ranks at the lower end of the spectrum with a 57.8% gender gap closure. Since 2006, Sub-Saharan Africa's overall gender parity score has improved by 6.0 percentage points, with the greatest gains observed in the Economic Participation and Opportunity category.
This improvement was driven by an 8.0 percentage-point rise in women's representation among legislators, senior officials, and managers.
Saadia Zahidi, World Economic Forum's managing director, emphasized that although gender parity is achievable, economies across all income levels need to expedite the implementation of effective policies to accelerate progress. In 2024, Nairametrics reported that global gender parity might take five generations, or 134 years, to attain due to the uneven recovery of economies and labor markets following the pandemic.
The report also points out ongoing disparities in specific industries and skills. Women make up 28.2% of the global STEM workforce; however, their participation grows steadily since 2016 but declines significantly within senior roles, particularly in C-suite positions. A Coursera report cited by the WEF shows that women have achieved gender parity in online learning for various skills, including collaboration, leadership, teaching, mentoring, empathy, and social influence.
Nigeria made a notable appearance at the 2026 WEF with the introduction of Nigeria House Davos, Nigeria's inaugural national pavilion at the forum. This initiative aims to showcase Nigeria's economic prospects and engage international investors and stakeholders. At the 2025 WEF, Nigeria and other African participants also pushed for the swift implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to bolster Africa's economy to an estimated $29 trillion by 2050.
Written by urgent.news from Nairametrics's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
