Photo: User:Kentstander derivative work: Jjtkk · CC BY 2.5 · via Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale
Topic 08 of 18 · Country Index 2026
Lesotho: Gender & Equality
How wide is the gap between women's and men's lives?
Lesotho is placed joint 62nd of 183 countries on gender & equality in the Country Index 2026, from 4 of its 4 key statistics. Readings behind it: Women, Business and the Law 90 (2025); Women's Political Empowerment Index 0.809 (2025).
Share
Gender & Equality
joint62nd
of 183 countries placed
Placed from 4 of 4 key statistics
- 90Women, Business and the Law, 2025WBL Index (0–100, where 100 is full legal parity)
- 0.809Women's Political Empowerment Index, 2025Women's political empowerment index (0–1)
- 30.04Firms with a Female Top Manager, 2025Firms with a female top manager (%)
- 32.8Social Institutions and Gender Index, 2023SIGI score (0 = no discrimination, 100 = absolute)
01The evidence
The 4 key statistics that decide it
Only these place Lesotho on gender & equality — one vote each. Every value is the publisher’s own, read at the edition the Country Index 2026 used — or, for a survey-based key, each country’s latest reading; the grey ticks are every other country it was compared with, lowest on the left.
90
WBL Index (0–100, where 100 is full legal parity)
Higher is better
Lesotho: 90. Across the 190 countries in this edition, values run from 3.125 (Afghanistan) to 100 (Sweden); the world median is 81.25.
- World median
- 81.25
- Best in Southern Africa
- 90 Lesotho
- Land neighbours
- South Africa 88.13
Key 2 of 4
Women's Political Empowerment Index
V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg
2025 edition · data for 2025 · CC BY-SA 4.0
0.809
Women's political empowerment index (0–1)
Higher is better
Lesotho: 0.809. Across the 176 countries in this edition, values run from 0.028 (Afghanistan) to 0.954 (Denmark); the world median is 0.772.
- World median
- 0.772
- Best in Southern Africa
- 0.855 Namibia
- Land neighbours
- South Africa 0.83
Key 3 of 4
Firms with a Female Top Manager
World Bank Group
Latest reading per country, 2016–2025 · Lesotho’s is from 2023 · CC BY 4.0
30.04
Firms with a female top manager (%)
Higher is better
Lesotho: 30.04. Across the 179 countries at their latest reading, values run from 1.429 (Qatar) to 62.9 (Kiribati); the world median is 19.16.
- World median
- 19.16
- Best in Southern Africa
- 38.51 South Africa
- Land neighbours
- South Africa 38.51
Key 4 of 4
Social Institutions and Gender Index
OECD
2023 edition · data for 2023 · OECD Terms and Conditions — data clause
32.8
SIGI score (0 = no discrimination, 100 = absolute)
Lower is better
Lesotho: 32.8. Across the 140 countries in this edition, values run from 6.7 (Norway) to 67.4 (Mauritania); the world median is 25.2.
- World median
- 25.2
- Best in Southern Africa
- 23 South Africa
- Land neighbours
- South Africa 23
02Over time
Which way Lesotho is moving
Each key’s published value, edition by edition, beside the world median. The Country Index 2026 is the first edition of the standing, so the standing itself has no history to chart yet.
Women, Business and the Law
WBL Index (0–100, where 100 is full legal parity) · higher is better
LesothoWorld median
Lesotho rose from 43.13 in 2000 to 90 in 2025; the world median went from 63.13 to 81.25.
Every year’s figures
Year Lesotho World median 2025 90 81.3 2023 81 81.3 2022 78 80.3 2021 78 80.0 2020 78 79.7 2019 78 78.8 2018 78 77.5 2017 78 77.5 2016 78 76.9 2015 78 75.9 2014 78 75.6 2013 78 75.0 2012 78 73.8 2011 78 73.1 2010 78 73.1 2009 76 72.5 2008 76 71.3 2007 76 69.7 2006 73 68.8 2005 53 67.2 2004 43 66.9 2003 43 64.7 2002 43 63.8 2001 43 63.8 2000 43 63.1 Women's Political Empowerment Index
Women's political empowerment index (0–1) · higher is better
LesothoWorld median
Lesotho rose from 0.694 in 2000 to 0.809 in 2025; the world median went from 0.681 to 0.772.
Every year’s figures
Year Lesotho World median 2025 0.809 0.7715 2024 0.781 0.7745 2023 0.831 0.7755 2022 0.835 0.7825 2021 0.825 0.7785 2020 0.799 0.7755 2019 0.749 0.7665 2018 0.778 0.7715 2017 0.753 0.7710 2016 0.799 0.7780 2015 0.807 0.7755 2014 0.807 0.7795 2013 0.806 0.7730 2012 0.805 0.7740 2011 0.803 0.7650 2010 0.803 0.7610 2009 0.789 0.7515 2008 0.789 0.7505 2007 0.789 0.7380 2006 0.756 0.7290 2005 0.745 0.7350 2004 0.732 0.7205 2003 0.750 0.7160 2002 0.730 0.7150 2001 0.694 0.6950 2000 0.694 0.6810
03In context
Lesotho beside its neighbours
A position reads best beside the countries around it. Every position below is a place among all 183 countries on gender & equality, never a place within the region.
Lesotho and the countries it borders
Standing among all 183; the key columns are the publishers’ own values.
| Country | Standing | Women, Business and the LawWBL Index (0–100, where 100 is full legal parity) | Women's Political Empowerment IndexWomen's political empowerment index (0–1) | Firms with a Female Top ManagerFirms with a female top manager (%) | Social Institutions and Gender IndexSIGI score (0 = no discrimination, 100 = absolute) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 South Africa | 40th | 88.13 | 0.83 | 38.51 | 23 |
| Lesotho | =62nd | 90 | 0.809 | 30.04 | 32.8 |
“—”: no published reading in that edition. What a standing is
Across Southern Africa
Every country in the sub-region, by its place among all 183.
Placed either side on gender & equality
The countries immediately above and below Lesotho in the topic’s list.
04Context, no vote
Where Lesotho is ahead of the world, and behind
24 more statistics filed under gender & equality, published in full and deliberately given no vote in the standing. Select a row for the publisher, the rank and the links.
Ahead of the world median8
Statistics on which Lesotho does better than the middle country measured.
Gender Development IndexUNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · world median 0.9711.0060.971▼ Worsened since 2013
Lesotho: 1.006 · world median 0.971 · Gender Development Index (1.000 = parity). UNDP Human Development Report Office, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.407 to 1.038; higher is better.
Position 18th of 184 · derived.
Firms with Female Participation in OwnershipWorld Bank Group · 2026 · world median 35.1255.3635.12No earlier reading
Lesotho: 55.36 · world median 35.12 · Firms with at least one woman among the owners (%). World Bank Group, 2026 edition, data for 2026.
Published values in that edition run from 1.273 to 86.78; higher is better.
Position 25th of 181 · derived.
Demand for Family Planning Satisfied by Modern MethodsUN DESA Population Division · 2023 · world median 71.258371.25▲ Improved since 2013
Lesotho: 83 · world median 71.25 · Share of women aged 15–49 wanting to avoid pregnancy who use a modern method (%). UN DESA Population Division, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 8.4 to 92.4; higher is better.
Position 32nd of 196 · derived.
Global Gender Parity IndexUNDP Human Development Report Office and UN Women · 2022 · world median 0.7260.7840.726No earlier reading
Lesotho: 0.784 · world median 0.726 · Global Gender Parity Index (women's achievements relative to men's; 1 = parity). UNDP Human Development Report Office and UN Women, 2023 edition, data for 2022.
Published values in that edition run from 0.141 to 0.925; higher is better.
Legal Guarantees of Women's Equal Rights to LandFAO · 2025 · world median 343No earlier reading
Lesotho: 4 · world median 3 · Level of legal guarantees of women's equal rights to land ownership and control, 1 (lowest) to 6 (highest). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 1 to 6; higher is better.
Child MarriageUNICEF · 2025 · world median 17.113.417.1No earlier reading
Lesotho: 13.4 · world median 17.1 · Women 20–24 married before 18 (%). UNICEF, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 76.3; lower is better.
Position 88th of 143 · derived, 1st = worst.
Women Who Think a Husband Is Justified in Hitting or Beating His WifeUNICEF · 2025 · world median 22.41922.4No earlier reading
Lesotho: 19 · world median 22.4 · Women aged 15-49 who say a husband is justified in hitting or beating his wife (%). UNICEF, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 1.2 to 80.2; lower is better.
Position 69th of 125 · derived, 1st = worst.
Antenatal Care Coverage, At Least Four VisitsUNICEF · 2025 · world median 8181.981No earlier reading
Lesotho: 81.9 · world median 81 · Women with a live birth who had 4+ antenatal visits (%). UNICEF, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 22.6 to 100; higher is better.
Position 75th of 153 · derived.
Behind the world median10
Statistics on which Lesotho does worse than the middle country measured.
Account Ownership Among WomenWorld Bank Group · 2024 · world median 71.2460.4371.24▼ Worsened since 2017
Lesotho: 60.43 · world median 71.24 · Women with an account (% of women aged 15+). World Bank Group, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 11.91 to 99.85; higher is better.
Position 84th of 139 · derived.
Institutional DeliveriesUNICEF · 2025 · world median 96.991.496.9No earlier reading
Lesotho: 91.4 · world median 96.9 · Live births delivered in a health facility (%). UNICEF, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 11.5 to 100; higher is better.
Female Share of Senior and Middle ManagementILO · 2024 · world median 35.8632.9235.86▼ Worsened since 2019
Lesotho: 32.92 · world median 35.86 · Women in senior and middle management (% of managers). International Labour Organization (ILO), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 7.226 to 56.69; higher is better.
Position 57th of 86 · derived.
Female Labour Force Participation RateILO · 2025 · world median 53.3648.0953.36▼ Worsened since 2015
Lesotho: 48.09 · world median 53.36 · Women aged 15+ in the labour force (%). International Labour Organization (ILO), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 4.663 to 82.91; higher is better.
Position 123rd of 182 · derived.
Women's Empowerment IndexUNDP Human Development Report Office and UN Women · 2022 · world median 0.6150.5310.615No earlier reading
Lesotho: 0.531 · world median 0.615 · Women's Empowerment Index (0–1; higher = more empowerment). UNDP Human Development Report Office and UN Women, 2023 edition, data for 2022.
Published values in that edition run from 0.141 to 0.828; higher is better.
Length of Paid Maternity LeaveWorld Bank Group · 2025 · world median 988498▼ Worsened since 2015
Lesotho: 84 · world median 98 · Paid maternity leave set in law (calendar days). World Bank Group, 2026 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 410; higher is better.
Length of Paid Paternity LeaveWorld Bank Group · 2025 · world median 303▼ Worsened since 2015
Lesotho: 0 · world median 3 · Paid paternity leave set in law (calendar days). World Bank Group, 2026 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 196; higher is better.
Adolescent Birth Rate (Ages 15–19)UN DESA Population Division · 2023 · world median 27.4670.6427.46No real change since 2013
Lesotho: 70.64 · world median 27.46 · Live births per 1,000 women aged 15–19. UN DESA Population Division, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.465 to 163.09; lower is better.
Position 39th of 222 · derived, 1st = worst.
Gender Inequality IndexUNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · world median 0.3510.5340.351No real change since 2013
Lesotho: 0.534 · world median 0.351 · GII (0 = full equality, 1 = maximum inequality). UNDP Human Development Report Office, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.003 to 0.838; lower is better.
Ranked 144th of 172 by UNDP Human Development Report Office.
Maternal Mortality RatioMMEIG · 2023 · world median 46.65478.0246.65▲ Improved since 2013
Lesotho: 478.02 · world median 46.65 · Maternal deaths per 100,000 live births. UN Maternal Mortality Estimation Inter-Agency Group (MMEIG), 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.11 to 992.83; lower is better.
Position 11th of 195 · derived, 1st = worst.
No better end6
These describe the shape of a country — more is not better or worse, only different — so they are never ahead or behind.
Female Share of ResearchersUIS · 2024 · world median 38.1752.5638.17No earlier reading
Lesotho: 52.56 · world median 38.17 · Researchers who are women (% of headcount; 50 = parity). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 76.54.
Women's Share of Agricultural LandownersFAO · 2025 · world median 25.6433.9125.64No earlier reading
Lesotho: 33.91 · world median 25.64 · Women's share of owners or rights-bearers of agricultural land (%). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 2.16 to 57.8.
Female-Headed HouseholdsUN DESA Population Division · 2026 · world median 33.2139.0133.21No earlier reading
Lesotho: 39.01 · world median 33.21 · Households headed by a woman (% of households). UN DESA Population Division, 2026 edition, data for 2026.
Published values in that edition run from 5.33 to 64.59.
Caesarean Section RateUNICEF · 2025 · world median 20.6523.520.65No earlier reading
Lesotho: 23.5 · world median 20.65 · Live births delivered by caesarean section (%). UNICEF, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0.6 to 72.2.
Mean Age at First Marriage, WomenUN DESA Population Division · 2019 · world median 24.6523.624.65No earlier reading
Lesotho: 23.6 · world median 24.65 · Singulate mean age at marriage, women (years). UN DESA Population Division, 2019 edition, data for 2019.
Published values in that edition run from 17 to 34.
Sex Ratio at BirthUN DESA Population Division · 2023 · world median 105.1102.8105.1No real change since 2013
Lesotho: 102.8 · world median 105.1 · Male births per 100 female births. UN DESA Population Division, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 101.1 to 116.3.
No current reading for Lesotho
Births Attended by Skilled Health Staff (last 2018), Female Genital Mutilation Prevalence, Female Share of STEM Graduates (last 2018), Gender Parity Index, Tertiary Enrolment (last 2018) and Gender Social Norms Index. Listed rather than hidden, so the page can be checked against it.
“Position · derived” is this site’s ordering of the published values, 1st = best unless the row says otherwise; the publisher ranks no country on it. Rank, position and standing
05Country Index 2026
Gender & Equality among Lesotho’s 14 topics
Gender & Equality is Lesotho’s 3rd best-placed topic of 14. Strongest first, each marker at its share of that topic’s field.
- Environment & Sustainabilityjoint 22nd of 1862/4 keys
- Peace & Security57th of 1774/4 keys
- Gender & Equalityjoint 62nd of 1834/4 keys
- Democracy & Civil Libertiesjoint 73rd of 1984/4 keys
- Risk & Resilience111th of 1934/4 keys
- Governance & Institutionsjoint 115th of 1944/4 keys
- Economy & Innovationjoint 132nd of 1763/4 keys
- Work & Labourjoint 140th of 1824/4 keys
- Education & Knowledge154th of 1984/4 keys
- Digital & Technology158th of 1984/4 keys
- Food & Agriculturejoint 158th of 1843/4 keys
- Development & Human Capital178th of 1963/3 keys
- Poverty & Inequality151st of 1593/3 keys
- Health & Wellbeing194th of 2004/4 keys
No standing on Mobility & Trade, Energy: too few of those topics’ key statistics are published for this country.
06The top of the list
Who leads on gender & equality
The three countries placed highest of 183, and the leaders Lesotho can most readily be measured against.
1
LatviaNorthern Europe
1st of 183 · 4 of 4 keys
Photo: Marcin Szala · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
2
TaiwanEastern Asia
2nd of 183 · 3 of 4 keys
Photo: xiangyang17 · CC BY-SA 2.0, greyscale
3
ItalySouthern Europe
3rd of 183 · 4 of 4 keys
Photo: Francisco Antunes · CC BY 2.0, greyscale
Placed highest nearby
Highest in Africa
Cabo Verde=34th3/4 keysHighest in Southern Africa
South Africa40th4/4 keysThis page
Lesotho=62nd4/4 keys
Positions out of 183 placed on the topic. A country needs readings on enough keys to be placed, and the top of the list is often held on fewer of them.
07Questions
Lesotho on gender & equality: questions answered
Every answer is built from the numbers on this page, so none can say something the page does not.
How does Lesotho rank on gender & equality?
Lesotho is placed joint 62nd of 183 countries on Gender & Equality in the Country Index 2026, from 4 of its 4 key statistics (Women, Business and the Law, Women's Political Empowerment Index, Firms with a Female Top Manager and Social Institutions and Gender Index). The position is this site’s ordering of published statistics, not a rank any publisher printed.
What is the latest Women, Business and the Law figure for Lesotho?
90 in 2025 (wBL Index (0–100, where 100 is full legal parity)), according to World Bank Group. The world median in the same edition was 81.25.
What is the latest Women's Political Empowerment Index figure for Lesotho?
0.809 in 2025 (women's political empowerment index (0–1)), according to V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg. The world median in the same edition was 0.772.
How does Lesotho compare with South Africa on gender & equality?
South Africa is placed 40th of 183, and Lesotho joint 62nd. Women, Business and the Law: South Africa 88.13, Lesotho 90; Women's Political Empowerment Index: South Africa 0.83, Lesotho 0.809; Firms with a Female Top Manager: South Africa 38.51, Lesotho 30.04; Social Institutions and Gender Index: South Africa 23, Lesotho 32.8.
How have Lesotho’s gender & equality figures changed?
Women, Business and the Law rose from 43.13 in 2000 to 90 in 2025; Women's Political Empowerment Index rose from 0.694 in 2000 to 0.809 in 2025.
Which gender & equality statistics are missing for Lesotho?
No current reading is published for Lesotho on Births Attended by Skilled Health Staff, Female Genital Mutilation Prevalence, Female Share of STEM Graduates, Gender Parity Index, Tertiary Enrolment and Gender Social Norms Index. They are listed rather than hidden, so the evidence on the page can be checked against it.
08Method
Method, sources and how to cite
What this topic does not measure
Violence against women is not a key here, because comparable data covers too few countries. The Gender Inequality Index is published here as context rather than as a key: its reading is driven largely by maternal and adolescent health, which moves with a country’s overall development and is already measured under Development and Health. Women’s labour force participation, women in management and child marriage are published here as context too.
How the Gender & Equality standing is decided
A standing is this site’s ordering, named with its edition — never a publisher’s rank. 4 key statistics vote, one vote each; every country’s published value becomes a place within that key’s own field, the places are averaged, and the average is never published. A country needs 2 of the 4 keys to be placed.
The gender & equality method, step by stepHow every standing on this site is built
The key statistics and their licences
- Women, Business and the Law — World Bank Group, CC BY 4.0
- Women's Political Empowerment Index — V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Firms with a Female Top Manager — World Bank Group, CC BY 4.0
- Social Institutions and Gender Index — OECD, OECD Terms and Conditions — data clause
The other 24 statistics on this page come from 9 publishers, each named beside its numbers, with every edition and licence on the datasets pages.
The standing itself is part of the Country Index 2026, published under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photographs
Lesotho’s banner and the countries placed highest, from their profiles: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.
- Lesotho (banner) — User:Kentstander derivative work: Jjtkk, CC BY 2.5
- Latvia — Marcin Szala, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Taiwan — xiangyang17, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Italy — Francisco Antunes, CC BY 2.0
Cite this page
Nations Inquiry (2026). Lesotho: Gender & Equality — standing and statistics, Country Index 2026. https://nationsinquiry.com/countries/lesotho/gender