Togo Ranks Second in Africa on Women’s Legal Frameworks, Behind Mauritius

Economic governance

Saturday, 28 March 2026 18:43

Togo Ranks Second in Africa on Women’s Legal Frameworks, Behind Mauritius

(Togo First) - The World Bank Group’s Women, Business and the Law 2026 report was launched in Lomé on Friday, March 27. The ceremony was presided over by Sandra Ablamba Johnson, minister and secretary-general of the Presidency of the Council, and attended by government ministers, technical and financial partners, and representatives from the private sector and civil society.

According to the report, published on Feb. 24, 2026, in Washington, Togo ranks second in Africa on the legal frameworks pillar, with a score of 79.33 out of 100, behind Mauritius (82.30) and ahead of Ivory Coast (78.25).

The 2026 edition introduces a revised methodology. In addition to statutory texts, it assesses institutional support systems and perceptions of enforcement in practice.

Togo scored 79.33% on legal frameworks and 64.54% on enforcement perceptions, above the regional average.

Johnson attributed the results to political leadership. “The main driver of these results is the strong political will expressed at the highest level — that of the President of the Council, who has made gender equality a priority,” she said.

She added that reforms must continue. “These results should not lead to complacency. We must sustain reform momentum,” she said.

Legislative gains, but work remains

Between 2023 and 2025, Togo implemented major structural reforms, including protections against the dismissal of pregnant workers, full maternity pay through the CNSS social security fund, and measures to ensure equal access to credit.

Togo is also among only 12 countries in sub-Saharan Africa with legal provisions allowing employees to request flexible working arrangements.

Challenges remain. The institutional support framework scored 31.95, below the regional average.

“The law alone does not create jobs, does not create childcare facilities, and does not guarantee the safety of a woman walking home from work in the evening,” said Tony Verheijen, the World Bank Group’s resident representative in Togo. He added that the institution stands ready to support the country’s efforts.

The results reflect sustained progress. The National Inclusive Finance Fund (FNFI) has benefited more than one million women, while a national programme to combat early pregnancies and child marriage (2023–2027) has produced 74 community action plans. In 2024, women accounted for 72% of FNFI beneficiaries, a figure presented at the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68) in New York.

The government also announced new initiatives for 2026, focusing on out-of-school girls and women entrepreneurs.

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REFORMS OVERVIEW

STARTING A BUSINESS (more info)

At the fifteenth position, worldwide, and first in Africa, under the Starting a Business index of the 2020 Doing Business ranking, Togo sustains its reformative dynamics with more reforms….

ENFORCING CONTRACTS (more info)

Compared to some years ago when it was one of the lowest rankers under the Doing Business’ Enforcing Contracts indicator, Togo, leveraging many efforts to improve its business climate, was able to jump significantly on the index in the recent years... .

CONTRACT EXECUTION (more info)

Creation of special chambers of commerce for small debts • Creation of chambers of commerce at the Court of Appeal • Civil and commercial cases now handled by distinct clerks • Establishment of commercial courts in Lomé and Kara • Lawyers and bailiffs now have access to the FORSETI COMMERCIAL platform • A maximum period of 100 days was fixed to settle a commercial dispute .

TRADING ACROSS BORDERS (more info)

In comparison to previous years,Togo has significantly improved its ranking under the“Trading across borders” indicator by adopting multiple reforms that focus mainly on the digitization and reduction in delays, for import and export procedures related to import and export.

In comparison to previous years, Togo has significantly improved its ranking on the “Trading across borders” index by adopting multiple reforms that focus mainly on the digitalization and reduction in delays, for import and export procedures related to import and export.

CONSTRUCTION PERMIT (more info)

After moving from the 133rd to 127th place under the 2020 Doing Business’ construction permit index, Togo intends to reiterate this feat in the coming edition of the global ranking. To this end, it has introduced this year multiple reforms.

GETTING ELECTRICITY (more info)

Over the past two years, Togo’s ranking under the Doing Business’ Getting electricity and water indicator has increased consistently. Owing this performance to multiple reforms aimed at making it easier for businesses to access power and water, Lomé plans to introduce even more reforms this year to keep up its improvements.

REGISTERING A PROPERTY (more info)

Out of all the 'Doing Business’ indicators, Property Registration is where Togo has improved the most since 2018. Indeed, after spending years in the lowest part of this ranking, the country now seeks to beat Rwanda which is the best performer on this index in Africa. To do so, Lomé has been introducing many reforms, with the latest batch implemented this year.

PUBLIC PROCUREMENT (more info)

From professionalization to digitization, through legislative regulations, Togo’s public procurement framework is constantly being modernized. Several reforms have been implemented to improve the sector much to the benefit of the private sector, which is the focus of the National Development Plan.

PAYING TAXES AND DUTIES (more info)

To improve its business environment, Togo introduced some important reforms related to the payment of tax and duties. From the replacement of some taxes to the cancellation of others through exemptions, the country has only one objective: offer the most attractive tax framework to investors and economic operators. To achieve this, the authorities relied on digitization.