Expand the sections below for answers to frequently asked questions about the Women, Business and the Law (WBL) project. If your question is not listed below, please write to us at wbl@worldbank.org and we will get back to you with a response.
For detailed information on the methodology, please refer to Women, Business and the Law Methodology Handbook.
Last Updated: April 3, 2025.
Following extensive consultations with gender experts, academics, civil society representatives, and colleagues within the World Bank Group, the Women, Business and the Law team designs questionnaires that are administered to a large sample of lawyers, judges, academics, and members of civil society organizations in 190 economies. These expert contributors—who complete the questionnaires on a pro bono basis—are identified by their expertise in the various areas of law covered by the report.
The team further engages with expert contributors through conference calls, written correspondence, and in-person meetings on country visits. All questionnaire responses are then analyzed, with each answer verified against the corresponding primary legal source. Lastly, the data undergoes a thorough internal review process in which comments on the data are received from across the World Bank Group.
More details about the data collection are provided in the Manual and Guide.
The Women, Business and the Law (WBL) index is based on statistically significant associations with outcomes related to women’s economic empowerment, in particular with women’s labor force participation as well as with other outcomes of interest, for example, female to male labor force participation rate ratio from the World Bank’s World Development Indicators database, the female to male wage ratio from the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report, the percentage of firms with a female top manager from the World Bank’s Enterprise Surveys, and the percentage of females who report owning financial accounts from the World Bank’s Global FINDEX database.
In addition to the association of indicators with outcomes, WBL employs a thorough review of the economic literature that supports each indicator, demonstrating how legislation influences women’s equality of opportunity during different phases of their working lives and affects their economic inclusion.
Finally, to ensure their relevance to women’s human and economic rights, each indicator is supported by the international legal framework set out in the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and other international legal documents, such as the UN Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women (DEVAW), the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women’s General Recommendations, and Conventions of the International Labor Organization (ILO).
More details about the methodology are provided in the Data Notes.
Women, Business and the Law 1.0 provides scores for each economy covered. Thirty-five data points are scored across eight indicators of four or five binary questions, with each indicator representing a different phase of a woman’s career. Indicator-level scores are obtained by calculating the unweighted average of the questions within that indicator and scaling the result to 100. Overall scores are then calculated by taking the average of each indicator, with 100 representing the highest possible score.
Women, Business and the Law 2.0 provides scores for each economy covered on three pillars: legal framework, supportive frameworks and expert opinions.
Information on the construction of the dataset, the methodology, and the scoring for each question can be found in the Data Notes, available on the Methodology page.
Policy makers, international financial institutions, civil society organizations (CSOs), investors, and researchers can utilize the data and findings from Women, Business and the Law in various ways. The data evaluate the legal and regulatory environment across 190 economies, enabling cross-country comparisons and highlighting the impact of legal reforms on gender equality, labor market participation, and economic growth. For example, WBL data support legal and policy reform by highlighting best practices and regulatory gaps, helping governments and organizations drive impactful change. Businesses and investors can use the data to evaluate regulatory environments and assess economic risks for women business owners and workers. Researchers can rely on WBL data to support evidence-based arguments on gender equality’s role in job creation and economic growth.
Over the past years, Women, Business and the Law (WBL) 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.
WBL 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 2024 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 (WBL) focuses on the formal legal and regulatory environment determining whether women can open their own businesses or work. Although many women in developing economies start businesses or work in the informal economy, a goal of this project is to define some of the features of the legal framework that make it more difficult for women to transition from the informal to the formal economy. Further, to maintain comparability across economies, WBL includes an assumption that the woman in question is employed in the formal sector. However, many of the indicators have direct relevance for women who work in the informal sector, for example laws affecting women’s ability to own or inherit property, or protections against domestic violence. Indirectly, legal protections affecting the formal sector provide a foundation for economic inclusion and offer incentives for women to be employed in or start businesses in the formal sector.
Women, Business and the Law (WBL) data is based on codified laws only and in some cases, in common law countries, legal precedent. Uncodified religious or customary practices are not reflected in the data. Unwritten, social or cultural norms—which may have a large impact on women’s lives—are also not considered. The existence of a statutory law is generally necessary for WBL to assess whether women are granted equal rights as men. For example, under the Assets indicator, WBL does not assign a positive score when property rights are solely governed by uncodified customary law (which often discriminates against women). This limitation ensures that the indicators remain actionable, because the law is what policymakers can change.
First, WBL 1.0 includes only one pillar of legal index, while WBL 2.0 includes three pillars: legal frameworks, supportive frameworks, and expert opinions.
Second, WBL 1.0 legal score includes eight indicators structured around women’s interactions with the law as they begin, progress through, and end their careers: Mobility, Workplace, Pay, Marriage, Parenthood, Entrepreneurship, Assets, and Pension. WBL 2.0 legal frameworks score introduces two new indicators: Safety, measuring frameworks addressing violence against women, and Childcare, measuring frameworks for the availability, affordability and quality of childcare.
The graph below summarizes the change. For more information, please refer to the methodology page.
Women, Business and the Law 2024 was the last year in which both the WBL 1.0 and WBL 2.0 index were published side by side. The new WBL 2.0 three-tiered approach, which focuses on legal frameworks, supportive frameworks, and expert opinions, reveals important gaps and demonstrates that the perceptions of experts on the status of women’s rights are not always in line with what is needed to implement those rights in practice. Next year (WBL 2026), WBL will collect data in accordance with the three pillars described in a forthcoming Methodology Handbook and finalize this new WBL index to deliver more comprehensive data to inform policy dialogue and reform, thereby allowing more women to realize their rights and boosting economic inclusion and labor force participation worldwide.
WBL and B-READY both address aspects of gender equality, but their focuses are distinct:
WBL focuses on laws and policy mechanisms that create the enabling environment for women’s economic opportunities. It evaluates laws and regulations and assesses whether implementation mechanisms exist to bridge the gap between policy and practice. WBL also uses expert insights to gauge the impact of laws on women’s lives.
B-READY collects data on gender primarily on whether government institutions and services support regulations. It focuses on gender-disaggregated data (e. g., in entrepreneurship, utility access, labor disputes, and land ownership), gender-targeted programs for women entrepreneurs (e.g., incubators and accelerators), and gender-sensitive regulations (e.g., in public procurement and trade).
In summary, WBL provides a comprehensive assessment of how economies support women’s economic opportunities through legal frameworks and the practical implementation of these laws. B-READY, on the other hand, focuses on public service delivery to address gender-specific challenges. Together, both projects offer distinct yet complementary insights into how laws and institutions influence women’s economic empowerment.
Expert contributors are selected based on their expertise in the areas covered by each of the three main WBL questionnaires. Expert contributors are expected to be knowledgeable about legal frameworks, supportive frameworks, and implementation of regulations for their particular topic area. Potential expert contributors can sign-up on the “Share your expertise” webpage. Additionally, the WBL team conducts desk-based research on LinkedIn and other online professional platforms to recruit prospective expert contributors, and relies on referrals.
The WBL conducts expertise assessment of all prospective expert contributors. This process involves comprehensive verification and analysis of the potential contributors’ credentials and expertise as indicated in open sources, including LinkedIn profiles, Google Scholar profiles, information published on the firm's and personal websites, news articles about a lawyer’s recent trials, work with clients, or public engagement.
An expert contributor’s professional background must match one of the following categories: legal professionals, academics, policy or development professionals, law graduate students, public policy graduate students and, retired professionals. WBL prioritizes recruiting expert contributors who have pursued tertiary education, such as a law degree or a master’s degree in a relevant field. The WBL team requires expert contributors to have at least two years of professional experience. As an exception, graduate students can contribute to WBL questionnaires under the supervision of their academic advisors.
In general, the WBL team requires expert contributors to have at least two years of professional experience. As an exception, graduate students can contribute to WBL questionnaires under the supervision of their academic advisors.
Expert contributors are welcome to refer their colleagues as prospective expert contributors to the WBL project. The WBL team will evaluate their eligibility and invite them to answer a questionnaire, should they meet the selection criteria.
While expert contributors’ names are not included in the report, all expert contributors will receive a Certificate of Appreciation and be acknowledged on the Women, Business and the Law website, in according with their expressed publishing preferences.
Generally, WBL selects expert contributors based on their affiliation with a firm, organization, or institution, to ensure accuracy of the data and accountability. It is also possible to complete questionnaires in an individual capacity, or to choose anonymity and not have one’s name and/or firm or affiliation published on the website.
Each questionnaire includes a section for expert contributors to provide their publication preferences and what information, if any, they wish to be published.
Expert contributors are invited to refer colleagues or other professionals. However, the WBL team must conduct an expertise assessment and, based on the outcome of the assessment, the team will directly invite the referred individual by sending a personalized and addressed survey link (a link uniquely generated for that expert contributor).
While a Certificate of Appreciation can be shared on social media, please note that this is not proof of employment or formal affiliation with the World Bank Group.
Please note, expert contributors complete WBL questionnaires on a pro-bono basis.
The WBL team is happy to provide updates about the WBL project, including information about the release of the report. Expert contributors may expect to receive a link to the WBL report by email and be able to register for a launch event.
Please note, some questions are mandatory, and it is highly preferred to provide responses across all questions.
If an expert contributor specializes in one specific area and is not familiar with all areas covered in the questionnaire, they can ask a qualified colleague to answer those questions. In that case, the name and contact information of the colleague can be indicated as an additional expert contributor.
Once a questionnaire is submitted, changes are generally not allowed to maintain data integrity. If a contributor notices any errors or needs to make corrections, they should contact the WBL team immediately to discuss the possibility of editing their answers.
The time commitment to complete Women, Business and the Law questionnaires varies depending on the topic of the questionnaire and the expert contributor’s familiarity with the topic.
In case of technical issues, contributors are welcome to email the WBL team at wbl@worldbank.org for assistance in solving the problem.
WBL questionnaires are available in English, French, Spanish, Arabic and Russian. Expert contributors are welcome to inform the WBL team if they wish to complete a questionnaire in a language of their preference.
All responses are verified by the WBL team against the corresponding primary sources before data are analyzed.
Expert contributors are welcome to collaborate with colleagues in completing the questionnaire. If they do, the names of all "Additional Contributors" should be properly listed so the WBL team can acknowledge their contributions.
The deadline for questionnaire completion is typically one month after the expert contributor receives the survey, but extensions may be granted depending on the circumstances.
Expert contributors can contribute to multiple topics as long as they are familiar with the subject matter and are able to conduct relevant research.
Expert contributors will receive a copy of their responses to the questionnaire in PDF format.
The responses to the questionnaire inform WBL data and findings. All questionnaire responses are analyzed, with each answer verified against the corresponding primary sources. Additionally, the data undergo a thorough internal review process in which comments on the data are received from across the World Bank Group.
WBL data are widely used and have had real impact informing legal and policy reforms in several countries, including Azerbaijan, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Jordan, Madagascar, Togo, Sierra Leone, Uzbekistan and Vietnam. . Further, by evidencing the positive link between gender-equal laws and positive development outcomes, WBL data has informed several World Bank’s lending and technical assistance operations since its inception, providing the analytical underpinnings for project design and enabling scalable reforms.
WBL engages frequently with governments and other stakeholders. The aim of this engagement is to promote the understanding, dissemination, and usage of the WBL data and reports in a way that is transparent, open, informative, and efficient. An effective Engagement Strategy is vital for exchanging views, enhancing the understanding of the WBL methodology, and ensuring an accurate assessment of the business environment. Collaborating productively with WBL stakeholders is crucial for increasing transparency and maintaining data integrity.
Governments can engage with the WBL Team through several structured interactions:
To streamline the collection of data from the public sector, at the beginning of the WBL data collection cycle, the WBL Team identifies government “Focal Points” in coordination with the Executive Directors. Focal Points are chosen among government officials from agencies or ministries focusing on WBL topics. WBL topic questionnaires sent to government representatives include questions on legal and policy frameworks and do not include questions on the perception of their enforcement. Government representatives are invited to complete the questionnaires within the indicated timeline.
The Focal Points are invited to nominate government representatives to complete the three WBL topic questionnaires. Generally, the appropriate government experts are from the following ministries or departments:
Governments have a specific deadline communicated by the WBL Team to Focal Points when sending the topic questionnaires.
Women, Business and the Law utilizes the information provided by governments in the questionnaires during the data collection process for data validation purposes only. This information helps identify the most recent legal and policy initiatives and addresses gaps in information from previous cycles from firsthand knowledge. By doing so, the WBL Team ensures that the data in the report is comprehensive and up to date. WBL topic questionnaires sent to government representatives do not include questions on the perception of their enforcement.
If your government has appointed you as the Women, Business, and the Law Focal Point and you have not yet been contacted, please email the WBL Team at wblengagement@worldbank.org. Our team will verify the information internally and follow up accordingly.
The Women, Business and the Law Team supports governments by organizing methodology workshops to explain each topic's methodology and describe the data collection and validation processes. These workshops are open forums that multiple governments can attend and are organized in coordination with the World Bank's Country Management Units (CMUs).
Bilateral meetings and workshops can also be organized upon government request and are tailored to specific needs. These workshops are closed to the public and can be conducted virtually or in-person. They include project overviews, methodology presentations, Q&A, and economy-specific data discussions. The team may also conduct webinars or ad hoc meetings to address government questions. Following the publication of the Women, Business and the Law report, the team may organize economy-specific or regional launch events to present the results, with governments invited to attend.
To request a bilateral meeting or a methodology workshop, please complete the following form.
The information provided by governments is managed and stored within Women, Business and the Law internal Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system. This data is collected, processed, and stored in accordance with the Personal Data Privacy and the Bank Directive on Personal Data Privacy Request and Review Mechanisms.
Contributions from public sector officials are acknowledged on the Women, Business and the Law website, indicating the relevant line ministries or agencies involved in providing responses for each economy.
Women, Business and the Law team ensures transparency by sharing the schedule of all bilateral meetings. This includes videoconferences and in-person meetings organized per economy on a rolling basis.