Explore Our Data
Highlights
Countries cannot move forward if half of their citizens are held back
Equal treatment of women under the law is necessary for dynamic & resilient economies. The 2023 report finds that 176 countries maintain legal barriers to women’s full economic participation.
Government Financial Support for Childcare Services : A Study of Regulations ...
This brief presents new data collected by the World Bank’s Women, Business and the Law project on childcare legislation in 95 economies around the world.
How Did India Successfully Reform Women’s Rights? Part II : Answers from the ...
This two-part policy brief series traces the development and reform of law in India related to three critical areas that affect women’s rights and economic opportunities. Part II: Answers from the Movement on Protection from Violence.
How Did India Successfully Reform Women’s Rights? Part I: Answers from the ...
This two-part policy brief series traces the development and reform of law in India related to three critical areas that affect women’s rights and economic opportunities. Part I: Answers from the Movement on Equal Inheritance Rights.
Protecting Women and Girls from Cyber Harassment : A Global Assessment of ...
This Brief analyzes laws from 190 economies to assess the extent and coverage of current legislative safeguards women from cyber harassment, one of the many forms of cyber violence.
Filling the Gaps : Childcare Laws for Women's Economic Empowerment
This paper aims to provide global evidence on whether and what attributes of laws governing the provision of childcare services affect women's labor market outcomes.
Accelerating Gender Equality Through Reforming Legal Frameworks
This thematic note emphasizes the role of laws and regulations in safeguarding women’s economic opportunities, for the purpose of informing the update of the World Bank Group’s Gender Strategy.
The Road to Reforming Ethiopia’s Policies on Maternity and Paternity Leave
This brief provides insight into how Ethiopia increased the duration of paid maternity leave from 90 to 120 days and introduced three days of paid paternity leave in 2019.
Emerging Trends in National Financial Inclusion Strategies that Support Women’...
This Brief presents data collected by the World Bank’s Women, Business and the Law (WBL) project on selected contours of National Financial Inclusion Strategies that can support women’s entrepreneurship.
Voices of Female Entrepreneurs
Featuring WE Empower Challenge awardees and finalists who share their stories and discuss laws that facilitate women’s entrepreneurship as well as remaining opportunities for legal reform to further advance women’s economic empowerment.
Gendered Laws and Women’s Financial Inclusion
Documenting the relationship between legal gender equality and the use of financial services, using individual-level data from 148 developed and developing economies.
Safeguarding the Rights of Women with Disabilities to Family Life, Work, and ...
Laws around the world largely fail to protect the rights of women with disabilities.
Legal Reforms to Protect Women at Home and at Work in São Tomé and Príncipe
Landmark reforms in São Tomé and Príncipe provide insights on the necessary elements to carry out meaningful reforms for gender equality.
Events
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Wilson Center May 09, 2023
WATCH THE REPLAY: Women, Business and the Law 2023: Findings and Reform Efforts in the Middle East
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Center for Global Development Mar 15, 2023
WATCH THE REPLAY: Women’s Land Rights in Sub-Saharan Africa
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UN CSW 67 Mar 09, 2023
WATCH THE REPLAY: UN CSW67 Side Session - Pathways to women’s economic empowerment: The interlocking roles of finance, law, and data
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World Bank Group Mar 01, 2023
WATCH THE REPLAY: Women, Business and the Law 2023 Launch
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Center for Global Development Nov 30, 2022
WATCH THE REPLAY: 8th Annual Birdsall House Conference on Gender Equality: Global Childcare and ECD Investments: Forging a Shared Agenda
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NORDSCI Conference Oct 15, 2022
WATCH THE REPLAY: NORDSCI 2022 Workshop: On the Path to Equality
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United Nations ESCAP Aug 30, 2022
WATCH THE REPLAY: Enabling Women’s Entrepreneurship Through Smart Legislative and Policy Design - A Regional Dialogue for Asia
Blogs
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NATÁLIA MAZONI & HÉLOÏSE GROUSSARD Aug 15, 2023
Empowering Angolan Women: Advancing Gender Equality Through Civil Society Engagement
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TAYLOR BOYCE, CHARLOTTE NAN JIANG & NORMAN LOAYZA Jun 27, 2023
Just do it: Sequencing and complementarity in gender reforms
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S ANUKRITI, LELYS DINARTE-DIAZ, MARIA MONTOYA-AGUIRRE & ALENA SAKHONCHIK Jun 21, 2023
Childcare regulation and women’s participation in the labor force
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ALENA SAKHONCHIK & MARINA ELEFANTE Jun 14, 2023
In Botswana, an inclusive reform process is needed to advance women’s economic participation
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NORMAN LOAYZA & TEA TRUMBIC Mar 02, 2023
Countries cannot move forward if half of their citizens are held back
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NATÁLIA MAZONI SILVA MARTINS & CLAUDIA CORMINALES Dec 21, 2022
Legal reforms to protect women at home and at work in São Tomé and Príncipe
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HANNELORE MARIA LEONA NIESTEN & ALENA SAKHONCHIK Dec 06, 2022
Three ways how governments can support affordable childcare
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MARIE CAITRIONA HYLAND, LIANG SHEN & SARAH BUNKER Nov 30, 2022
What do we know about gender gaps in paid family leave?
Resources
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Measuring the Legal Environment in Practice
This pilot project presents a new conceptual framework for measuring the implementation gap by examining supportive frameworks for primary legislation and expert opinions of laws in practice.
Toward Available, Affordable, and Quality Childcare Services
Women, Business and the Law presents a new conceptual framework for measuring the legal environment around the provision of childcare services. Related research provides further analysis of the data.
Women with Disabilities
WBL is collecting and analyzing data on the rights of women with disabilities under family law, labor law, and violence against women legislation.
Discriminatory Laws Against Women: A Survey of Literature
This working paper reviews the empirical literature on the impact of gender discriminatory laws on women’s outcomes across various domains constituting Women, Business and the Law’s measure of gender inequality.
Saving for Old Age
Differences women face in their working lives relative to men can result in unequal economic outcomes in retirement. This case study examines the gender gap in access to pensions.
Women's Financial Inclusion and the Law
A case study examining how discriminatory laws can affect women’s demand for financial services.
Ending Violence against Women and Girls
Part of a series that assesses the role of laws and specific programs or interventions in ending violence against women.
Explore our Indicators
Workplace
Analyzing laws affecting women’s decisions to enter and remain in the labor force.
Additional Information
Experts
Norman Loayza
Director, Global Indicators Group
Tea Trumbic
Manager, Women, Business and the Law, Global Indicators Group
