About Us

Women, Business and the Law is a World Bank Group flagship initiative providing comparable data on laws and policies in 190 economies that shape women’s economic participation and drive growth.

Our Story & Mission

The World Bank
For over 15 years, Women, Business and the Law has informed global policy dialogue on legal reforms that advance growth and productivity. Launched in 2010, the project has developed a rigorous, worldwide database and produced 11 reports documenting legal reforms that shape women’s economic participation.
Mission: When women move forward, entire economies move forward. That is why Women, Business and the Law is committed to informing research, policy discussions, and development operations on the legal and policy environment for women's economic opportunities. Women, Business and the Law demonstrates the progress made while emphasizing the work still to be done to ensure economic prosperity for all.

CONTACT US

Have questions or feedback? Please check out our FAQ page or reach out to the Women, Business and the Law team at wbl@worldbank.org.

POLICY INDICATORS GROUP

Women, Business and the Law is part of the World Bank’s Policy Indicators Group, the World Bank Group’s leading source of indicators and analysis, informing sound policies for lasting economic development.

Our Work

Our Data

Comprehensive data on how laws, regulations, and policies shape women’s economic opportunities globally.

Our Report

Annual analysis of reforms and global trends in legal, supportive, and enforcement frameworks.

Our Methodology

Our approach to measuring and scoring the three pillars across 190 economies.

Our Protocol

Procedures guiding expert engagement, data validation, and quality assurance.

Our Project Milestones

WBL milestone
1

Questionnaire design and systems configuration (December–April)

Questionnaires are developed for data collection, and IT systems are configured to support survey distribution, contributor relationship management, and data management.

2

Data collection in 190 economies (April–September)

Data are collected across 190 economies through questionnaires distributed to private sector Expert Contributors, public sector respondents, and World Bank Group staff.

3

Desk research, data validation, and data review (April–September)

Responses are validated against relevant laws, regulations, and policy mechanisms through desk research. The validated data undergo multiple layers of review to ensure quality and accuracy.

4

Score computation, data analysis, and report drafting (September–January)

Indicator, topic, and pillar scores are computed and analyzed. Key findings are presented in the draft report, followed by a Bank-wide Review of the data set and report.

5

Publication and dissemination (February–onward)

Following Bank-wide Review, the report and final data set are published. The WBL team engages in dissemination activities to present the findings from the latest report and data set.