- Survey findings show notable gender imbalances in Congo-Brazzaville: o Women are less likely than men to have secondary education (47% vs. 52%) and more likely than men to have primary education or no formal schooling (21% vs. 15%). o Fewer women than men own assets such as a mobile phone (80% vs. 84%), a bank account (19% vs. 27%), and a motor vehicle (6% vs. 13%). o Women are less likely than men to say they have control over how household money is spent (38% vs. 44%).
- Almost half (47%) of Congolese – including 58% of men – say that men should be given priority over women in hiring.
- In contrast, a large majority (84%) of citizens say women and men should equal rights to own and inherit land.
- Similarly, more than three-fourths (77%) of Congolese say women should have the same opportunity as men to be elected to public office, although men are less likely than women to endorse gender equality in politics (69% vs. 84%). o One-third of respondents say that a woman who runs for elective office is likely to be criticised or harassed (34%) and to face problems with her family (33%).
- A slim majority (53%) of citizens say the Congolese government is doing a “fairly good” or “very good” job of promoting equal rights and opportunities for women, but almost as many (47%) disagree. o More than six in 10 (62%) say the government should do “somewhat more” or “much more” to promote women’s rights and opportunities.
- The scarcity of women in influential government positions ranks as the most important women’s-rights issue that citizens say their government and society must address.
Since signing the Maputo Protocol in 2004, Congo-Brazzaville has sought to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment through a variety of measures, including a National Gender Policy emphasising gender-equal education and a revised National Action Plan prioritising gender-equal governance and economic opportunity (Protocol Watch, 2024; Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, 2024). In 2021-2022, the government adopted legislation to protect women from domestic violence and sexual harassment in the workplace (World Bank, 2023).
Despite these efforts, gender equality remains a distant aspiration (Bertelsmann Stiftung, 2024; World Bank, 2024). The 2022 Gender Inequality Index ranks Congo-Brazzaville 144th out of 166 countries, noting that women hold only 16% of parliamentary seats and trail men in education and labour-force participation (United Nations Development Programme, 2022).
The 2024 Sustainable Development Report indicates stagnation amid major remaining challenges on the path toward United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) No. 5, “Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls” (Sachs, Lafortune, & Fuller, 2024).
This dispatch reports on a special survey module included in the Afrobarometer Round 9 questionnaire to explore Africans’ experiences and perceptions of gender equality in control over assets, hiring, land ownership, and political leadership.
Findings in Congo-Brazzaville show that women trail men in educational attainment, asset ownership, and financial autonomy. While large majorities endorse gender equality in land ownership and politics, almost half say men should be given priority in employment.
Citizens are divided in their assessments of the government’s performance on promoting equal rights and opportunities for women, but a clear majority say greater efforts are needed.
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