The latest Women, Business and the Law report reveals that while many countries have introduced legislation promoting gender equality, enforcement remains weak. On average, countries score 67 out of 100 for laws supporting women’s economic rights. However, enforcement drops that score to 53, and systems required to implement those rights fall further to 47.
According to Indermit Gill, the findings expose significant opportunity gaps that are slowing economic growth, particularly in developing nations. Although progress has been made in passing equal-opportunity laws, fewer than half of the necessary enforcement policies and services are in place. Only 4 per cent of women globally live in countries with near full legal equality.
The report evaluates women’s economic participation across ten areas, including safety from violence, childcare access, entrepreneurship, employment protections, asset ownership, and retirement security. It highlights safety as a major weakness, with only one-third of the required laws in place and enforcement failing 80 per cent of the time, according to Norman Loayza.
Entrepreneurship and childcare also lag behind. While most economies legally allow women to start businesses, only half ensure equal access to credit. Meanwhile, fewer than half of the 190 economies surveyed provide financial or tax support for childcare, limiting mothers’ ability to work.
Despite the challenges, reforms are underway. Over the past two years, 68 economies introduced 113 legal reforms, with sub-Saharan Africa leading in progress. Countries such as Egypt, Jordan, and Oman recorded notable improvements, particularly in parental leave and workplace equality measures.
