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Highlights
To End Poverty on a Livable Planet, We Need Gender Equality
Gender equality is critically important to ending poverty. Why? It benefits not only women, but also societies and entire economies.
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.
Women's Land Rights in Sub-Saharan Africa: Where do we Stand in Practice?
This Brief examines the challenges in implementing laws protecting women’s land rights in Sub-Saharan Africa.
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.
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.
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
Blogs
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NAYANTARA VOHRA Dec 07, 2023
Breaking the Chains: Empowering women to escape domestic violence through support services
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NATÁLIA MAZONI SILVA MARTINS & HÉLOÏSE GROUSSARD Dec 04, 2023
In Mozambique, civil society calls for an end to gender-based violence (GBV) and discrimination
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ISABEL SANTAGOSTINO RECAVARREN & MARINA ELEFANTE Nov 27, 2023
Protecting women and girls from cyber harassment: a global assessment
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HANNELORE MARIA LEONA NIESTEN & LOLITA LAPERLE-FORGET Nov 21, 2023
Equal rights, unequal import tariffs: how women pay the price
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
