Women’s Representation Rises in Togo, but Economic Gaps Persist

Social

Monday, 05 January 2026 11:27

Women’s Representation Rises in Togo, but Economic Gaps Persist

Women hold 13.33% of ministerial posts and less than 15% of municipal and regional council seats.
Gender-sensitive spending reached CFA32.02 billion in 2024 and could rise to CFA61.4 billion in 2026.
Limited access to finance continues to constrain women’s economic empowerment despite targeted programs.

Togo continues to expand gender integration with measurable economic implications, although progress remains uneven across sectors. In decision-making bodies, women hold 13.33% of ministerial positions, 21.24% of seats in the National Assembly, and 26.22% in the Senate.

Women account for 20% of regional governors, while representation remains below 15% in municipal and regional councils. The Gender-Sensitive Budget Document 2026 reported these figures and highlighted a persistent ceiling in women’s access to leadership roles despite symbolic advances.

On the budget front, gender-sensitive spending reached CFA32.02 billion in 2024, representing 1.4% of the national budget. Authorities achieved an execution rate close to 90%, according to the same source.

For 2026, projections increased to CFA61.4 billion, or 5.22% of the national budget, although ministries showed wide disparities. Several key economic sectors allocated less than 0.05% of their budgets to gender-sensitive actions. On the institutional level, the government deployed several mechanisms to strengthen women’s access to justice and protection. These measures include justice houses, women’s houses, and integrated centers for survivors of gender-based violence.

Authorities also reinforced institutional support through a women’s promotion division within the Human Rights Commission. In parallel, the Agricultural Transformation Agency promoted gender inclusion in rural areas. However, economic empowerment continues to face structural constraints, particularly limited access to financing.

Entrepreneurs du Monde reported that women entrepreneurs face greater banking barriers in a country where only one in four people holds a bank account. The National Fund for Inclusive Finance partially mitigated this imbalance, with women representing 65% of its beneficiaries.

Finally, recent reforms earned Togo a score of 97.5% in the World Bank’s Women, Business and the Law 2024 report. The country now faces the challenge of effective implementation, particularly through a formal and enforceable legal framework.

This article was initially published in French by Ayi Renaud Dossavi

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum

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.