The Women, Business, and the Law 2024 report, released by the World Bank, measures the legal environment for women’s economic participation across 190 countries. The report assesses laws in areas such as mobility, workplace, pay, marriage, parenthood, entrepreneurship, assets, and pensions. For the first time, it includes new indicators on Safety and Childcare to address critical challenges like violence against women and access to affordable childcare.
Despite progress in many regions, the report highlights that women still have only about two-thirds of the legal rights enjoyed by men globally. Countries like Japan, Spain, and Kenya have made strides in wage transparency, workplace protections, and business reforms, respectively, but substantial gaps remain, particularly in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, where women face persistent barriers in property ownership and accessing credit.
The report underscores that closing legal gender gaps is not only a matter of fairness but also a driver of economic growth, with countries that support women’s economic inclusion experiencing greater innovation and productivity.
