Global Economic Equality for Women: A Promise Unfulfilled
A new report from the World Bank reveals a stark reality: despite progress in enacting laws promoting economic equality for women, implementation lags significantly behind. On average, laws designed to empower women economically are only half-applied globally, indicating deeper systemic obstacles than previously understood. Even with full implementation, women would still possess only two-thirds of the economic rights enjoyed by men.
The Implementation Gap: A Critical Hurdle
The latest edition of the Women, Business and the Law report not only measures legal rights but, for the first time, assesses the degree to which those rights are enforced. Experts indicate that laws encouraging women’s full economic participation are only half-applied. This means governments have considerable work ahead, as progress in establishing laws is not matched by the necessary policies, institutions, services, data, budgets and access to justice required for effective implementation.
Currently, only 4% of women worldwide live in countries that guarantee them nearly equal economic rights to men. This disparity hinders economic growth and job creation.
Beyond Legislation: The Importance of Support Systems
According to Indermit Gill, Chief Economist and Senior Vice President for the World Bank Group’s Economics Development, the global average score for adopting laws favoring economic equality between men and women is 67 out of 100. However, the score drops to 53 when considering law enforcement, and further to 47 when evaluating the systems needed to exercise those rights. This highlights significant inequalities and provides policymakers with crucial information to address declining growth potential in developing economies.
The report examines women’s participation in ten key areas: safety against violence, access to childcare services, entrepreneurship, employment protections, property rights, and retirement security. A particularly weak area is security against violence, which undermines women’s ability to engage in consistent work.
Norman Loayza, Director of Public Policy Indicators at the World Bank, emphasizes that “true equality begins with security. Whether at home, at work, or in public spaces, protecting women is essential for their success and fulfillment.” However, the world is falling short in this area, with only one-third of necessary legislation adopted and even those laws inadequately enforced in 80% of cases.
A Future Workforce Demanding Equality
Tea Trumbic, Project Manager of Women, Business and the Law and lead author of the report, notes that 1.2 billion young people – half of whom are girls – will enter the workforce in the next decade. Many will enter labor markets with significant obstacles and where the economic benefits of their participation are most needed. Ensuring equal opportunities isn’t just desirable; it’s an economic imperative.
Entrepreneurship and Childcare: Key Areas for Improvement
The report identifies entrepreneurship as another lagging area. While legal rules generally apply equally to men and women regarding business creation, only about half of countries promote equal access to credit, effectively limiting funding for women entrepreneurs.
Affordable and reliable childcare services are also crucial. The availability of such services is a key determinant of parents’ – particularly mothers’ – ability to work or access more productive employment. However, less than half of the 190 economies studied have laws providing financial or tax support for families. Even within those economies, only 30% of the necessary policies to support affordable, quality childcare have been established, with only 1% of support systems in place in low-income economies.
Recent Progress and Regional Highlights
Despite the challenges, progress has been made in adopting laws promoting equality in recent years. Globally, 68 economies have enacted 113 positive legal reforms in most areas of women’s economic lives, particularly in entrepreneurship and security against violence. Seven countries have also extended paternity exit to better share parental responsibilities and support women’s employment.
Sub-Saharan Africa has implemented 33 reforms, a record among all regions. Madagascar and Somalia have removed prohibitions on women working in sectors like construction, manufacturing, and agriculture.
Egypt, Jordan, and Oman have also made notable strides. Egypt ranks first globally among “reformers,” with a 10-point increase in its legal equality score. Recent reforms have extended paid maternity leave, introduced paid paternity leave, mandated equal pay, and allowed for flexible work arrangements.
FAQ
Q: What is the Women, Business and the Law report?
A: It’s an annual study measuring the environment for economic opportunity for women in 190 economies.
Q: What is the biggest obstacle to women’s economic equality?
A: The gap between having laws on the books and actually enforcing them.
Q: Which region is showing the most progress?
A: Sub-Saharan Africa, with 33 reforms implemented.
Q: What are the key areas the report focuses on?
A: Safety against violence, access to childcare, entrepreneurship, employment protections, property rights, and retirement security.
Did you know? Only 4% of women globally live in countries with nearly equal economic rights to men.
Pro Tip: Advocating for policies that support childcare access and enforcement of anti-violence legislation are crucial steps towards achieving economic equality for women.
Explore the full report and its findings on the World Bank website. Share your thoughts on these critical issues in the comments below!
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