List of Top 10 Countries with the Lowest Gender Equality Index

Top 10 Countries with the Lowest Gender Equality Index: Gender equality is a fundamental human right. It means that women and men have equal access to resources, opportunities, and decision-making power. The Gender Equality Index is a measure of gender equality in reproductive health, empowerment, and the labor market. Gender inequality has several negative consequences for both women and men. It can lead to poverty, violence, and social unrest. It can also prevent countries from reaching their full economic potential.

The top 10 countries with the lowest gender equality index are Afghanistan, Chad, Algeria, Pakistan, Iran, Mali, DR Congo, Oman, Benin, and Guinea. In this article, we will look into the list of top 10 countries with the lowest gender equality index.

What is the Gender Equality Index?

The Gender Equality Index is like a scorecard that measures how equal opportunities, rights, and benefits are shared between women and men in different countries. It looks at various areas of life such as work, money, knowledge, time, power, health, and more to see if men and women are treated equally. The higher the score, the more equal the conditions are between genders. This index helps people understand where improvements are needed to make sure everyone, regardless of their gender, has the same opportunities and rights.

List of Countries with the Lowest Gender Equality Index

Several factors contribute to gender inequality. These include poverty, discrimination, and lack of access to education and healthcare. In many countries, women are also denied basic rights, such as the right to vote or own property. The following table lists the countries with the lowest gender equality index:

Country	Least Gender Equality Index 2023
Afghanistan	0.41
Chad	0.57
Algeria	0.57
Pakistan	0.57
Iran	0.57
Mali	0.60
DR Congo	0.61
Oman	0.61
Benin	0.62
Guinea	0.62

The Country with the Lowest Gender Equality Index – Afghanistan

Afghanistan is the country with the worst gender equality index in the year 2023 with the score of 0.41.

• Afghanistan is a country where men and women aren’t treated equally. This means that women often don’t have the same opportunities as men.
• One major problem is that girls don’t always get the chance to go to school. Even though things have gotten better since the Taliban, who didn’t let girls go to school, were removed, there are still issues.
• Another problem is that women don’t have as many chances to work outside of their homes. People in Afghanistan often think women should stay at home and take care of the family.
• Women also don’t have a big role in politics. There aren’t many women in government or other important positions.

The Country with the Second Lowest Gender Equality Index – Chad

According to the 2023 Gender Inequality Index (GII), Chad is the least gender equal country in Africa and second least in the world. The World Bank also rates Chad as the second least gender equal country in Africa.

• The World Economic Forum (WEF) says that Chad is one of the lowest-performing countries in the world, along with the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Mali, with scores below 62%.
• The GGGI measures gender-based gaps in four key dimensions: Economic Participation and Opportunity, Educational Attainment, Health and Survival, and Political Empowerment.
• The GGGI ranks each country between 0.000 (or 0%, the lowest possible gender equality) and 1.000 (100%, the highest possible gender equality).
• 60.6% of women aged 20–24 was married or in a union before age 18. The adolescent birth rate is 179.4 per 1,000 women aged 15–19 as of 2023. Few women attain higher education, and many who receive a college degree do so outside of the country.

The Country with the Third Lowest Gender Equality Index – Algeria

According to the 2023 Global Gender Gap Report by the World Economic Forum, Algeria has the third lowest gender equality index at 31.7%.

• The index measures gender equality in four key areas: health, education, economy, and politics.
• In 2022, Algeria’s overall gender gap index score was 0.602 points, ranking 140 out of 146 countries worldwide. In 2023, the index was at 0.57, down from 0.6 the previous year.
• One area where Algeria has made progress is in education. Women are now more likely to be enrolled in school than men.
• In 2017, the adolescent birth rate was 12 per 1,000 women aged 15–19. However, women are still underrepresented in the workforce. Only 26% of seats in parliament are held by women.

The Country with the Fourth Lowest Gender Equality Index – Pakistan

According to the 2022 Global Gender Gap Index, Pakistan ranks second to last in terms of gender parity, with only 56.4% of its gender gap closed.

• This means that women have a poorer performance than men in key outcomes like education, health, political participation, and economic opportunity.
• However, the 2023 Global Gender Gap Report by the World Economic Forum (WEF) found that Pakistan’s gender parity is 57.5%, which is the highest since 2006.
• The 2023 report also found that Pakistan ranked 142 out of 146 countries, which is slightly higher than Algeria, Chad, and Afghanistan.
• The report benchmarks gender parity across four dimensions, including health and survival. In this dimension, Pakistan ranked 132nd, with healthy life expectancy at 140 and first in sex ratio at birth.

The Country with the Fifth Lowest Gender Equality Index – Iran

The 2023 Global Gender Gap Report ranks Iran 143rd, with a gender gap rate of 54.2% for wages for similar work.

• The report also notes that women in parliament make up 5.9% of parliament, women in ministerial positions make up 5.3%, and women are heads of state at 0%. Discrimination against Iranian working women has become normalized under the mullahs’ regime.
• According to a 2022 report from the World Economic Forum, Iran is one of the countries in the bottom five of the global gender-gap index.
• The index measures women’s economic participation, educational attainment, health, and political survival. Iran’s low ranking is due to the lack of opportunities for women in the country’s conservative, male-dominated society.
• Iranian women have been forced to veil, and have been forbidden from dancing or singing solo in public, riding a bicycle, attending matches in sports arenas, becoming judges or president, and must sit at the back of the bus.

The Country with the Sixth Lowest Gender Equality Index – Mali

According to the 2021 UNDP Gender Inequality Index, Mali ranks 155th out of 170 countries.

• The World Economic Forum’s 2023 Global Gender Gap Report also lists Mali as one of the lowest-performing countries in the subindex.
• The Gender Inequality Index (GII) is a composite metric that measures gender inequality in three dimensions: reproductive health, empowerment, and the labor market.
• The GII ranges from 0 to 1, with 0 indicating that women and men fare equally, and 1 indicating that one gender fares as poorly as possible in all measured dimensions.
• Women and girls in Mali continue to experience disadvantages in many aspects of life, including health, justice, and education.

The Country with the Seventh Lowest Gender Equality Index – DR Congo

According to the UN Women Data Hub, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is one of the countries with low gender equality performance.

• The DRC ranks 151st out of 179 countries in the 2021 Gender Inequality Index (GII). The GII is a composite metric that uses reproductive health, empowerment, and the labor market as main dimensions to measure gender inequality.
• Some issues that women in the DRC face include child marriage, high maternal mortality rates, limited access to maternal healthcare, disproportionate impact from HIV, poverty, and domestic violence.
• 29.1% of women aged 20–24 was married or in a union before age 18. 109 per 1,000 women aged 15–19 had an adolescent birth rate in 2016.
• 61.2% of Congolese women live underneath the poverty threshold, compared to 51.3% of men. 44% of women cannot attain economical timeliness. 14.3% of women occupy parliamentary seats.

The Country with the Eighth Lowest Gender Equality Index – Oman

Oman is one of the 10 countries with the worst gender equalities. In 2023, Oman’s global gender gap index was 0.61, and the country ranked 139th out of 146 on the global gender gap index in 2022.

• Oman’s gender inequality index in 2021 was 0.300, and the country ranked 72nd out of 191.
• Oman’s overall score is lower than the regional average for the Middle East and North Africa region, which is 51.5. Malta has the highest score in the region at 88.8.
• Article 17 of Oman’s Basic law prohibits discrimination based on gender, but Omani law does not provide equality or protection to women in some areas.
• Oman failed to take steps to end discrimination against women despite civil society’s increased demands for equal rights for women, including with respect to marriage, divorce, inheritance, nationality and child custody, and restrictions on movement and on the type of work allowed.

The Country with the Ninth Lowest Gender Equality Index – Benin

Gender equality is a major challenge in Benin. The country has a Gender Inequality Index (GII) of 0.612, which is the ninth lowest in the world. This means that women in Benin face significant disadvantages in terms of access to education, healthcare, and employment.

• One of the main reasons for gender inequality in Benin is the country’s traditional culture. In many Beninese cultures, women are expected to stay at home and take care of the children. This limits their opportunities for education and employment.
• Another reason for gender inequality in Benin is the country’s high poverty rate. Poverty disproportionately affects women, who are more likely to be unemployed and to live in rural areas.
• The Beninese government has taken some steps to address gender inequality. The government has passed laws to promote gender equality in education and employment.
• However, there is still much work to be done to achieve gender equality in Benin. The government needs to continue to implement its gender equality policies and programs.

The Country with the Tenth Lowest Gender Equality Index – Guinea

In 2021, Guinea was ranked 182 out of 191 countries in the United Nations Development Program’s Gender Inequality Index, making it one of the most unequal countries in the world in terms of gender.

• In 2023, Guinea’s global gender gap index was 0.62, which means 0 is maximum inequality and 1 is no inequality.
• According to UNICEF, only 60% of girls in Guinea attend primary school, compared to 75% of boys. At the secondary level, only 27% of girls are enrolled compared to 43% of boys. This lack of education limits opportunities for women and girls, and perpetuates the cycle of poverty.
• In 2020, more men than women owned a business in Guinea, and the share of female business owners is in the lowest quintile of all countries.
• There is still much work to be done to achieve gender equality in Guinea. The government needs to continue to implement its gender equality policies and programs.

Summary – Top 10 Countries with the Lowest Gender Equality Index

In conclusion, according to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the GII is a composite measure that reflects gender-based inequalities in three dimensions: reproductive health, empowerment, and labor market participation. The GII is calculated using data from a variety of sources, including the World Bank, the United Nations Population Fund, and the International Labour Organization. The GII is a useful tool for tracking progress towards gender equality over time. However, it is important to note that the GII is just one measure of gender equality. There are many other factors that can contribute to gender inequality, such as cultural norms, social attitudes, and economic policies.

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FAQs on Top 10 Countries with the Lowest Gender Equality Index

Which countries have the lowest Gender Equality Index (GEI)?

Afghanistan, Chad, Algeria, Pakistan, Iran, Democratic Republic of the Congo are among the countries with the lowest GEI.

What does the Gender Equality Index measure?

The Gender Equality Index measures the disparities between men and women in various aspects of life, including education, employment, and political participation.

What factors contribute to low gender equality in these countries?

Factors such as cultural norms, lack of access to education, limited economic opportunities, and gender-based violence contribute to low gender equality.

Are there any efforts being made to improve gender equality in these countries?

Yes, various organizations and governments are implementing programs and policies to promote gender equality and empower women and girls.

How does low gender equality affect women and girls in these countries?

Low gender equality limits women’s and girls’ access to education, economic opportunities, healthcare, and decision-making roles, leading to poorer quality of life and limited prospects.

What are some common challenges faced by women in these countries?

Challenges include limited access to education and healthcare, restricted economic opportunities, gender-based violence, and cultural norms that prioritize men’s roles over women’s.

Are there any success stories or improvements in gender equality in these countries?

While progress may be slow, there are instances of positive change, including increased access to education for girls, greater participation of women in certain professions, and legal reforms to protect women’s rights.

How do cultural norms impact gender equality in these countries?

Cultural norms often dictate traditional gender roles, limiting women’s opportunities outside the home and reinforcing inequalities in education, employment, and decision-making.

What role can international organizations play in improving gender equality in these countries?

International organizations can provide support through funding, technical assistance, and advocacy efforts to address systemic barriers to gender equality and promote women’s empowerment.

What can individuals do to support gender equality in these countries?

Individuals can raise awareness, support local organizations working on women’s rights issues, advocate for policy changes, and challenge gender stereotypes and discrimination in their communities.