Côte d'Ivoire ranks first in gender equality in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).ECOWAS), where it obtained a score of 0.708, which is higher than the regional average of 0.640.

This finding comes from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) 2024 Gender Equality Index report, the first regional tool to measure gender gaps across the group.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Gender Equality Index is a multidimensional tool that measures inequalities between women and men in member states.

parity in sectors

This index encompasses education, employment, access to resources, health, technology, and leadership and decision-making. The index is calculated using 38 indicators that assess parity across these sectors.

The index sets a reference value of 1, which represents perfect equality between women and men. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) report on the Gender Equality Index states that “a value less than 1 indicates inequality in favor of men, while a value greater than 1 reflects inequality in favor of women.”.

The Ivorian government statement read: “Côte d'Ivoire stands out particularly in the field of education, where it scored 0.948, and in the field of technology (0.739). The country occupies an above-average level in the areas of health (0.889), employment and income (0.737), and access to resources (0.627).”.

The reforms are achieving tangible results.

The Ivorian government is launching a series of structural policies and programs to reduce gender inequality, ranging from women's economic empowerment to enhanced political participation. These efforts rely on dedicated funding, institutional reforms, and concrete social initiatives.

One example is the Women's Support Fund in Côte d'Ivoire (FAFCI), a project financing program that has enabled 340,000 women to gain greater independence and well-being. This initiative has strengthened women's resilience against poverty.

On the political front, the 2019 law imposes a 30% quota for women in decision-making bodies.

In addition, Côte d'Ivoire's National Policy on Gender Equality, Equity and Gender Equality (PNEEG 2024-2030), valued at 3.1 billion CFA francs (US$5.5 million), seeks to achieve two key objectives: the effective integration of gender into all sectors of public and private life, and a change in mindsets and behaviors that support respect for the rights of women, men, girls and boys, in their privacy, according to a statement from the Government of Côte d'Ivoire.

According to the ECOWAS Gender Equality Index report, Senegal ranks second with a score of 0.684, excelling in access to technology and women's leadership. Ghana comes in third (0.679), followed by Togo (0.673), and The Gambia rounds out the top five with a score of 0.671.