Over the past years, Women, Business and the Law has taken as its starting point that the law can help women reach their full potential. It is the framework by which governments can identify barriers to women’s success and, by removing them, boost their labor force participation. However, for women to thrive in the world of work, the laws that guarantee their equality of opportunity must be meaningfully implemented and enforced.
Women, Business and the Law recognizes that the implementation and enforcement of laws are critical barriers to gender equality. Gaps between laws on the books and actual practice restrict the full realization of women’s rights and opportunities. To present a fuller picture of the legal environment for women, Women, Business and the Law 2022 presented the results of a pilot exercise conducted in 25 economies, examining both the supportive frameworks that create an enabling environment for working women and the expert opinions of progress made toward gender equality of individuals on the ground.
Though preliminary, the pilot exercise confirms that laws alone are not enough to improve gender equality, with gaps between the legal index and the measures of implementation observed across all countries. Continuing to improve these measures in subsequent years, Women, Business and the Law hopes to deliver a fully developed methodology for measuring the operation of laws that will allow more women to enforce their rights, boosting economic inclusion and labor force participation worldwide. Read more.