The 20th Global Gender Gap Report, released by the World Economic Forum on September 16, highlights the global state of gender equality. With a global score of 69.2%, the organization estimates it will take 120 years to achieve complete parity worldwide. Mauritius ranks 102nd out of 148 countries evaluated, revealing a paradox between women's educational success and their economic and political representation.
In education, Mauritius shows remarkable indicators, with women outperforming men in universities and higher institutions. However, this high qualification does not translate to the workforce, where the unemployment rate for women with higher education is 23.2%, compared to 18.4% for men with the same level of education. This disparity worsens when examining the economic power and corporate governance pyramid in the country.
According to Statistics Mauritius' report on July 21, 2026, only 11.1% of active women are business owners or self-employed, while this proportion is 24.2% for men. In the public administration, although women occupy 37.2% of senior positions such as permanent secretary, director, or magistrate, their representation drops significantly when it comes to ultimate decision-making power.
The Mauritian political sphere is the most striking example of this glass ceiling, illustrating the country's poor performance on the political empowerment sub-index measured by the WEF. The Council of Ministers currently has only 2 female ministers out of 24 portfolios, and only one municipality out of five is presided over by a female mayor.
The data from Statistics Mauritius also reveals that women and girls represent 85.7% of the victims of domestic violence recorded on the territory. The gap between the level of qualification of Mauritian women and their protection or access to responsibilities remains alarming.
An analysis of the Global Gender Gap Report and Statistics Mauritius' Gender Statistics report highlights a significant fracture within Mauritian society. While women excel in education, their participation in the economy and politics is limited, indicating a need for improvement in these areas to achieve better gender equality.
To bridge this gap, Mauritius needs to address the challenges faced by women in accessing economic opportunities and decision-making positions. The government and other stakeholders must work together to create a more inclusive environment that allows women to fully participate in the country's development.
Key points
- Women in Mauritius have high educational achievement but face challenges in economic and political representation.
- The country's glass ceiling is evident in the underrepresentation of women in decision-making positions.
- Mauritius has a long way to go to achieve gender equality, with an estimated 120 years needed to reach complete parity.
