Namibia has surged to the forefront of gender equality in Africa, closing 81.1% of its gender gap to rank 8th in the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2025. It is the only African country in the global top 10. The new rank is partially due to the country’s leadership structure: both the president and vice president are women, marking a continental first. This underscores the country’s deliberate strategy of inclusive leadership. Namibia’s rise, backed by affirmative policies and constitutional reforms, is a testament to political will rather than economic might. Yet, as advocate Zoé Titus reminds us, representation doesn’t always equal lived equality, with poverty and digital divides persisting. The global report warns that without sustained efforts, hard-won progress—especially in developing nations—could easily be reversed.
Forbes
