Women, Business and the Law (WBL) is a World Bank Group project collecting data on the laws and policy mechanisms that measure the enabling environment for women’s economic opportunity.

OUR MISSION

When societies achieve gender equality, economies become more resilient. That's why Women, Business and the Law is committed to informing research and policy discussions about the state of women’s economic opportunities and empowerment. Women, Business and the Law demonstrates the progress made while emphasizing the work still to be done to ensure economic empowerment for all.

OUR DATA

Since 2009, Women, Business and the Law has been enhancing the study of gender equality and informing discussions on improving women's economic opportunities and empowerment. The dataset offers objective and measurable benchmarks for global progress toward gender equality. Comparable across economies, the data is useful for research and policy discussions on improving women's economic opportunities. This year, the study presents two sets of data: Women, Business and the Law 1.0 and an expanded version, Women, Business and the Law 2.0. 

Women, Business and the Law 1.0 covers 190 economies and eight topics relevant to women's economic participation.

Women, Business and the Law 2.0 introduces a new framework for measuring the implementation gap. It analyzes laws—de jure— and examines the existence of frameworks supporting implementation of the law and gauges experts’ opinions on the outcome of the law for women—de facto. Women, Business and the Law 2.0 introduces two new indicators – Safety and Childcare – and revises its ongoing indicators.

OUR REPORTS

Women, Business and the Law 2024 introduces a new framework with three pillars—legal frameworks, supportive frameworks, and expert opinions—to measure the differences on access to economic opportunities between men and women in 190 economies. The data and analysis highlight the work still to be done to ensure economic empowerment for all. All our previous reports are available for download on the Reports page.

OUR TEAM

Women, Business and the Law is researched and written by a team of experienced lawyers and experts. Meet the team.

OUR PROTOCOLS

The Women, Business and the Law Manual and Guide describes the production process for the WBL reports. It serves as an official source of information for team members and interested stakeholders. It aims to depict, consolidate, and codify rules and protocols in a comprehensive way. This document also includes processes intended to shield the team from the undue influence of internal and external stakeholders, presenting the available resources to report and address any such instances. It aims to ensure the transparency, quality, and integrity of our data and research.

To ensure fairness and transparency in the data collection process, the Women, Business and the Law team has created a Government Engagement Portal through which government officials and World Bank Group colleagues may request meetings and provide the team with information regarding potential reforms or data corrections by completing an online Data Updates Submission (DUS) Form.

Data Updates can be submitted through the Government Engagement Portal during each data collection cycle from one month after the start of data collection until two weeks after the data cutoff date. The Women, Business and the Law team reviews and sends written responses to all information submitted through the Government Engagement Portal no later than two months after data collection closes. In the response, the Women, Business and the Law team explains the assessment of the particular economy data to the issue raised based on the relevant methodology and provides a conclusion.

Since 2022, the team publishes the information received through the Government Engagement Portal. Read the data updates submitted by governments by clicking here.

OUR DONORS & PARTNERS

Support for Women, Business and the Law is provided by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; Childcare Incentive Fund; Human Rights, Inclusion and Empowerment Umbrella Trust Fund; Jobs Umbrella Multi-Donor Trust Fund; Knowledge for Change Program; State and Peacebuilding Fund; United States Agency for International Development; and William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.

The Women, Business and the Law  team's key partners include: Arizona State University; Berkeley Center on Comparative Equality & Antidiscrimination Law; Cherie Blair Foundation for Women; Clooney Foundation for Justice; Columbia University’s Institute of Global Politics; Equal Measures 2030; Equimundo; Equality Now; Femnet; Gates Foundation; International Association of Women Judges; Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Obama Foundation; OECD SIGI; Oliver Wyman Forum; Spotlight Initiative; Thomson Reuters Foundation; United Nations Development Programme; United Nations Foundation; United Nations Global Compact; UN Women; United States Agency for International Development and Women Political Leaders; Women Leading Effective and Accountable Democracy in the Digital Age (Women LEAD). Maintaining relationships with partners is integral to researching and raising awareness about laws impacting women’s economic empowerment.

The team has likewise formed strong partnerships with global law firms and networks of lawyers, whose members contribute their expertise to the WBL surveys. These partners include Advocates for International Development; AIG; Arias; BLP Legal; BNP Paribas; Clifford Chance LLP; CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang LLP; Dechert; DLA Piper; Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer; GEA Abogados; GRATA International; International Lawyers Assisting Workers; Kirkland & Ellis; Latham & Watkins; Linklaters; Morrison & Foerster; Norton Rose Fulbright; PredictaBill; Shearman & Sterling; SLB Group; Squire Patton Boggs; Standard Chartered Bank (UAE); UN Women; United Nations Population Fund; VDB Loi; White & Case. WBL is continuously seeking to expand its network of contributors in order to collect reliable and representative data. If you would like to learn more about our global network of contributors and the benefits of joining, please click here.