1、 2024 International Bank for Reconstruction and Development/The World Bank1818 H Street NW,Washington,DC 20433Telephone:202-473-1000;Internet:www.worldbank.orgSome rights reserved1 2 3 4 27 26 25 24This work is a product of the staff of The World Bank with external contributions.The findings,interpr

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6、ommercial purposes,under the following conditions:AttributionPlease cite the work as follows:World Bank.2024.Women,Business and the Law 2024.Washington,DC:World Bank.doi:10.1596/978-1-4648-2063-2.License:Creative Commons Attribution CC BY 3.0 IGOTranslationsIf you create a translation of this work,p

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12、design and illustration:Dania Kibbi,Base Three Studio,Washington,DC.World Bank;further permission required for reuse.Library of Congress Control Number:2023924028iiiWomen,Business and the Law 2024 is the 10th in a series of annual studies measuring the laws that affect womens eco-nomic opportunity i

13、n 190 economies.This year,it presents two sets of data:Women,Business and the Law 1.0 and an expanded version,Women,Business and the Law 2.0.Women,Business and the Law 1.0 updates its index of eight indicators structured around womens interactions with the law as they move through their lives and ca

14、reers:Mobility,Workplace,Pay,Marriage,Parenthood,Entrepreneurship,Assets,and Pension.Women,Business and the Law 2.0 presents a new approach to measure the implementation gap between lawsde jureand how they function in practicede facto.It analyzes legal frameworks,supportive frameworks,and expert opi

15、nions on the status of womens rights.In doing so,Women,Business and the Law 2.0 introduces two new indicatorsSafety and Childcareand revises the ongoing indicators.By examining laws affecting the economic decisions that women make throughout their working lives,the frame-works supporting the impleme

16、ntation of those laws,and the opinions of experts on womens outcomes,Women,Business and the Law continues to gather new evidence of the critical relationship between legal gender equality and womens economic empowerment.Data in Women,Busi-ness and the Law 2024 are current as of October 1,2023.CONTEN

17、TSix Forewordxi Acknowledgmentsxiii Main Messagesxvii Executive Summaryxxxix Abbreviations1 Chapter 1.Tracking Progress on Womens Legal Rights15 Annex 1A.Summaries of Reforms19 Chapter 2.Introducing Women,Business and the Law 2.0:Toward Better Measurement of Laws,Policies,and Practices55 Annex 2A.Wo

18、men,Business and the Law 2.0 Questions 65 Chapter 3.Women,Business and the Law 2.0:Trends Emerging from Data Analysis of New Measurements95 Annex 3A.Women,Business and the Law 1.0 and 2.0 Scores103 Appendix A.Data NotesWOMEN,BUSINESS AND THE LAW 2024ivBoxesxviii ES.1:From Women,Business and the Law

19、1.0 to Women,Business and the Law 2.02 1.1:About Women,Business and the Law3 1.2:How Women,Business and the Law informs the World Banks 202430 Gender Strategy:Accelerate Gender Equality to End Poverty on a Livable Planet 51 2.1:Expert opinions questions:An example 104 A.1:Assumptions used to ensure

20、comparabilityFiguresxix ES.1:Women,Business and the Law 2.0 introduces new measurements to track global progress toward gender equality xxi ES.2:Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East and North Africa show the largest gaps in WBL 2.0 legal frameworks scores,exceeding 60 points xxii ES.3:Safety,Entre

21、preneurship,and Childcare indicators have the largest legal gaps xxii ES.4:The lowest scores for supportive frameworks are in Sub-Saharan Africa,followed by the Middle East and North Africaxxiii ES.5:The largest ranges in expert opinions scores are within the East Asia and Pacific and SouthAsia regi

22、onsxxv ES.6:Economies with high scores on the WBL 1.0 legal index continue to have high scores on the WBL 2.0 legal index xxvi ES.7:More gender-equal laws are associatedwith better supportive frameworksxxviii ES.8:More gender-equal laws are associated with the perception of more rights for women in

23、practicexxix ES.9:Supportive frameworks lag behind legal frameworks and expert opinions scores across regions and income groupsxxx ES.10:In 202223,18 economies enacted reforms across all Women,Business and the Law 1.0indicators2 B1.1.1:The eight Women,Business and the Law 1.0 indicatorsvCONTENTS6 1.

24、1:The largest legal gaps are in the Middle East and North Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa7 1.2:Gaps in scores of more than 60 pointsare found across all income groups8 1.3:Most reforms were undertaken in Sub-Saharan Africa and low-income economies 11 1.4:In 202223,18 economies enacted reforms across a

25、ll Women,Business and the Law 1.0 indicators20 2.1:Women,Business and the Law 2.0 introduces new measurements to track global progress toward gender equality 25 2.2:Safety legal frameworks questions examine laws on child marriage,sexual harassment,domestic violence,and femicide28 2.3:Childcare legal

26、 frameworks questions examine laws governing the provision of center-based childcare services29 2.4:Mobility legal frameworks questions examine laws affecting womens agency and freedom of movement30 2.5:Workplace legal frameworks questions examine laws affecting womens decisions to work31 2.6:Pay le

27、gal frameworks questions examine laws affecting the gender wage gap32 2.7:Marriage legal frameworks questions examine constraints in marriage and divorce33 2.8:Parenthood legal frameworks questions examine paid leave policies and protections for pregnant workers34 2.9:Entrepreneurship legal framewor

28、ks questions examine legal constraints on womens abilities to start and run a business36 2.10:Assets legal frameworks questions examine gender differences in property and inheritance laws37 2.11:Pension legal frameworks questions examine laws affecting the size of a womans pension40 2.12:Safety supp

29、ortive frameworks questions examine mechanisms implementing laws on child marriage,sexual harassment,domestic violence,and femicideWOMEN,BUSINESS AND THE LAW 2024vi41 2.13:Mobility supportive frameworks questions examine bureaucratic barriers to womens agency and freedom of movement42 2.14:Workplace

30、 supportive frameworksquestions examine measures implementinglawsaffecting womens decisions towork43 2.15:Pay supportive frameworks questions examine measures implementing laws affecting womens pay44 2.16:Marriage supportive frameworks questions examine courts and procedures in family law45 2.17:Par

31、enthood supportive frameworks questions examine measures implementing laws affecting womens work upon the birth of a child46 2.18:Childcare supportive frameworks questions examine mechanisms implementing childcare laws47 2.19:Entrepreneurship supportive frameworks questions examine programs and data

32、 supporting female entrepreneurs48 2.20:Assets supportive frameworks questionsexamine mechanisms and data to implement womens property and inheritance rights49 2.21:Pension supportive frameworks questions examine policies aimed at reducing the gender pension gap54 2.22:Pathway to the newWomen,Busine

33、ssand the Law2.0 index66 3.1:The new Women,Business and the Law 2.0 approach goes beyond laws 68 3.2:Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East and North Africa have the largest gaps in WBL 2.0legal frameworks scores,exceeding 60 points69 3.3:Gaps in WBL 2.0 legal frameworks scores exceed 60 points acro

34、ss all income groups 70 3.4:Safety,Entrepreneurship,and Childcare indicators have the largest legal gaps 72 3.5:Economies with high scores on the WBL 1.0 legal index continue to have high scores on the WBL 2.0 legal index 73 3.6:Scores across regions and income groups are lower on the WBL 2.0 legal

35、index than on the WBL 1.0 legal index CONTENTSvii76 3.7:The lowest scores for supportive frameworks are in Sub-Saharan Africa,followed by the Middle East and North Africa76 3.8:The adoption of supportive frameworksvaries most in high-income economies 77 3.9:Globally,the most supportive frameworks ar

36、e in place for Mobility and the fewest for Workplace79 3.10:All regions and income groups lack the supportive frameworks needed to protect womens rights80 3.11:For nearly all indicators,there is a substantial gap between the legal and supportive frameworks scores82 3.12:The largest ranges in expert

37、opinions scores are within the East Asia and Pacific and South Asia regions83 3.13:There is a 31-point difference in average expert opinions scores on womens rights in practice between low-and high-income groups 84 3.14:The Pension indicator receives the highest score and Safety the lowest score fro

38、m the experts85 3.15:Experts in the Middle East and North Africa,East Asia and Pacific,and high-income economies perceive more womens rights in practice than the legal frameworks suggest 86 3.16:Experts assessment of womens rights in practice are different than the legal frameworks suggest88 3.17:Mo

39、re gender-equal laws are associated with better supportive frameworks91 3.18:More gender-equal laws are associated with the perception of more rights for women in practice94 3.19:Supportive frameworks lag behind legal frameworks and expert opinions scores across regions and income groupsMaps67 3.1:W

40、omen have less than two-thirds of thelegal rights of men under the new index75 3.2:Globally,two-fifths of supportive frameworks are in place to implement gender-equal laws82 3.3:Experts perceptions:Two-thirds of women enjoy rights equal to those of menWOMEN,BUSINESS AND THE LAW 2024viiiTablesxx ES.1

41、:Introducing the 10 indicators of Women,Business and the Law 2.0:Toward better measurement of laws,policies,and practices xxxi ES.A.1:Women,Business and the Law 2.0 questionsxxxiii ES.B.1:Women,Business and the Law 1.0 and 2.0 scores5 1.1:Women,Business and the Law 2024 score(WBL 1.0)8 1.2:Five econ

42、omies advanced the most toward gender equality since October 202212 1.3:In 202223,economies implemented the highest number of reforms to improve gender equality in the Parenthood indicator21 2.1:Introducing the 10 indicators of Women,Business and the Law 2.0:Toward better measurement of laws,policie

43、s,and practices 31 2.2:Fifty-nine economies prohibit women from performing certain tasks in industrial jobs 38 2.3:Women,Business and the Law 2.0 measures various categories of supportive frameworks 52 2.4:Expert opinions questions 55 2A.1:Women,Business and the Law 2.0 questions95 3A.1:Women,Busine

44、ss and the Law 1.0 and 2.0 scores106 A.1:Methodological strengths and limitations of the Women,Business and the Lawindexes108 A.2:Women,Business and the Law 1.0 indicators and questions116 A.3:Women,Business and the Law 2.0 legal frameworks indicators and questions127 A.4:Women,Business and the Law

45、2.0 supportive frameworks indicators and questions135 A.5:Women,Business and the Law 2.0 expert opinions indicators and questionsixAll parents hope that the joys and successes of their children will dwarf the challenges and frustrations they will face in life.However,parents are likely to feel indig

46、nationeven angerwhen they learn that in not a single nation in the world would their daughters have the same workplace rights and advantages as their sons.Women,Business and the Law 2024 makes it clear that the playing field is not level,and it points to ways to correct that unevenness.It is my hope

47、and the hope of those working so hard to produce this seminal researchthat my daughters generation will be the last to face unfair barriers to its professional achievements.These barriers have consequences for both women and men because they cripple economies,preventing them from reaching their full

48、 development potential.Novel in this years Women,Business and the Law is the incorporation of two new indicatorsSafety and Childcare.The report also breaks new ground by measuring for the first time the gap between the legal rights that women have on paper and the reality they face on the ground,whe

49、re implementation of their rights often falls shockingly short.It reveals that women have just two-thirds of the rights of men in the workplace.Even worse,economies have,on average,established less than two-fifths of the systems needed for full implementation.For example,98 of the 190 economies asse

50、ssed have enacted legislation mandating equal pay for women for work of equal value.Yet only 35fewer than one in fivehave adopted pay transparency measures or enforcement mechanisms to address the pay gap.The result is that women earn,on average,just 77 cents for every dollar paid to men.The first o

51、f the new indicators included in this reportwomens safetypegs the global average score at just 36.This means that women have a third of the legal protection they need from domestic violence,sexual harassment,child marriage,and femicide.Of the 190 economies studied,151 have laws in place prohibiting

52、sexual harassment in the workplace,but only 39 have laws prohibiting it in public spaces such as mass transit.How can we expect women to prosper at work when it is dangerous for them just to travel to work?Most economies also score poorly on laws regulating childcare,the second new indicator.Women s

53、pend nearly two and a half more hours a day on unpaid care work than men,much of it involving childcare.Less than half of all economies provide some financial support or tax breaks for parents with young children.And in less than a third do quality standards govern childcare services.All this means

54、that only half of women participate in the global workforce,compared with nearly three-quarters of all men.FOREWORDWOMEN,BUSINESS AND THE LAW 2024xWhat a waste of talent.And how tragic that the economies where talent is scarcest waste it the most.Today,the world faces the prospect of persistently sl

55、ow growth.However,women have the power to turbocharge the global economy.The work of the Women,Business and the Law team shows that closing gender gaps over the next decade would essentially double the global growth rate.The world simply cannot afford to sideline half of its population.Our daughters

56、 are ready and able to make the world a better place for all of usif we get out of their way.Indermit S.GillChief Economist and Senior Vice President for Development EconomicsWorld Bank GroupxiData collection and analysis for Women,Business and the Law 2024 were conducted by a World Bank Group team

57、led by Tea Trumbic(manager,Women,Business and the Law)under the general direction of Norman V.Loayza(director,Global Indicators Group,Development Economics).Overall guidance for the preparation of the report was provided by Indermit S.Gill(chief economist,World Bank Group,and senior vice president,D

58、evelopment Economics).Members of the core research team were Carolina Azcua,Daniela Behr,Julia Constanze Braunmiller,Eduardo Caldern Pontaza,Alexis Koumjian Cheney,Alev Gurbuz Cuneo,Rebecca Michelle Ego,Marina Elefante,Mahmoud Elsaman,Luiza Ferraz di Ricco,Emilia Galiano,Bill Garthwaite,Mariam Anais

59、 Gnakra,Hlose Groussard,Viktoria Khaitina,Jungwon Kim,Lolita Laperle-Forget,Jessica Kemiko Maeda Jeri,Shantel Marekera,Natlia Mazoni Silva Martins,Olena Mykhalchenko,Hannelore Niesten,Caroline Perrin,Ayln Rodrguez Ferrari,Najla Sabri,Alena Sakhonchik,Isabel Santagostino Recavarren,Camelia Saranciuc,

60、Liang Shen,Ana Maria Tribin Uribe,Nayantara Vohra,Siyi Wang,Lara Wanna,and Yue(Sophie)Xi.The team was assisted by Federica Franceri,Yi(Tina)Guo,Sopran Mohamed Lamri,Lilly Jeanne Langlade,Valeria Lau,Poorvika Mehra,Nabila Levinsohn Mourad,Giacomo Tabacco,and Consuelo Jurado Tan.Support for Women,Busi

61、ness and the Law is provided by the Bill&Melinda Gates Foundation,United States Agency for International Development,William and Flora Hewlett Foundation,World Bank Competitiveness for Jobs and Economic Transformation(C-JET)umbrella trust fund,World Bank Knowledge for Change Program,World Bank Multi

62、-Donor Trust Fund for Jobs,and World Bank State and Peacebuilding Fund.The report was edited by Elizabeth Forsyth and Sabra Ledent and proofread by Catherine Farleyand Gwenda Larsen.Dania Kibbi,Base Three Studio,was the principal graphic designer.Special thanks go to Stephen Pazdan,who coordinated a

63、nd oversaw the formal production of the report by the World Banks publishing program.The team would also like to thank Jewel McFadden,who managed the overall publication process.The Women,Business and the Law 2024 communication and outreach strategy is led by a team composed of Chisako Fukuda,Camill

64、a Shuang Liu,Kristen Milhollin,Karolina Ordon,Joseph Rebello,Shane Romig,and Mariana Teixeira,as well as World Bank Group communications colleagues at headquarters and around the world.Development and management of the Women,Business and the Law website and other technical services were supported by

65、 Manasi Amalraj,Rajesh Ammassamveettil,Ying Chi,Varun Doiphode,Suman Gupta,Fengsheng Huang,Anna Maria Kojzar,ACKNOWLEDGMENTSWOMEN,BUSINESS AND THE LAW 2024xiiDebora Manandhar,Akash Pradhan,Balasubramanian Ramakrishnan,Shrikant Bhaskar Shinde,Geoffrey Shott,and Arvind Srinivasan.Shuting Sun and Divya

66、nshi Wadhwa assisted with data visualization.Alan Neil Golding,Monique Pelloux Patron,Dayana Sosa Leguizamon,and Van Thi Hong Do provided the team with resource management support.The team is also grateful to Rose Gachina,Tersit Berhane Ghiday,and Irina Koval for their help with coordination.The tea

67、m appreciates as well the valuable comments by Taylor Boyce,Nan Jiang,Debasmita Padhi,and other colleagues both within and outside the World Bank Group,and the input from the World Bank Groups executive directors.The team would especially like to acknowledge the guidance of Kathleen G.Beegle,John As

68、hton Loeser,Juan Francisco Santini,Hannah Irmela Uckat,and Lucas Zavala.It would also like to thank its many World Bank Group colleagues who provided written comments during the formal Bank-wide review process.This report was made possible by the generous contributions of more than 2,400 lawyers,jud

69、ges,academics,civil society representatives,and public officials in 190 economies.Contact details for local experts wishing to be acknowledged can be found on the Women,Business and the Law website,https:/wbl.worldbank.org/en/local-experts.Firms that completed multiple questionnaires in their variou

70、s offices around the world are listed as global and regional contributors.xiiiWomen,Business and the Law 2024 introduces new measurements of progress toward legal gender equality in 190 economies.The 10th in a series,it presents two sets of data:Women,Business and the Law 1.0 and an expanded version

71、,Women,Business and the Law 2.0.For the first time,the assessment goes beyond the laws on the booksde jureto examine the frameworks supporting implementation of the law and to gauge experts opinions on the outcome of the laws for womende facto.In doing so,it now covers 10 indicators:Safety,Mobility,

72、Workplace,Pay,Marriage,Parenthood,Childcare,Entrepreneurship,Assets,and Pension.The gender gap for women in the global workplace is massivein fact,much wider than previously thought.Although economies have made notable progress over the decades in enacting equal opportunity laws for women,today wome

73、n enjoy less than two-thirds of the legal rights available to mennot three-quarters as previously estimated.The lower number reflects the major deficiencies revealed once two new indicators were tracked for the first time this yearSafety and Childcare.Deficiencies in these areas discourage women fro

74、m entering the global workforce.When these additional indicators are taken into consideration,no country provides equal opportunity for women.Thirty-seven economies grant women less than half of the legal rights of men to the detriment of half a billion women.The gap is even wider in practice than e

75、qual opportunity laws on the books suggest.Effective implementation of laws depends on an adequate supporting frameworkfor example,strong enforcement mechanisms,a system for tracking gender-related pay disparities,and the availability of services for women who survive violence.For the first time,Wom

76、en,Business and the Law now assesses the implementation gaps between laws and the frameworks needed to implement them in 190 economies.The analysis reveals a shocking implementation gap.Although the laws on the books imply that women enjoy roughly 64 percent of the rights of men,economies have,on av

77、erage,established less than 40 percent of the systems needed for full implementation.For example,98 economies have enacted legislation mandating equal pay for women for work of equal value.Yet only 35 economiesfewer than one in fivehave adopted pay transparency measures or enforcement MAIN MESSAGESW

78、OMEN,BUSINESS AND THE LAW 2024xivmechanisms to address the pay gap.Experts perceive that approximately half of women in the examined economies have equality when it comes to pay and access to high-paying jobs.Women have the power to turbocharge the global economy,and yet laws and lack of enforcement

79、 tend to keep them on the sidelines.In an era of persistently slow growth,increasing the participation of women in the global workforce could significantly brighten the outlook.Closing the gender gap in employment and entrepreneurship could raise the global gross domestic product by more than 20 per

80、cent.Eliminating the gender gap over the next decade would essentially double the current global growth rate.In 2023,governments across the world were especially assertive in advancing three categories of legal equal opportunity reformspay,parental rights,and workplace protections.Azerbaijan,Jordan,

81、Malaysia,Oman,Sierra Leone,and Uzbekistan together enacted 10 reforms mandating equal pay for work of equal value or lifting restrictions on a womans ability to work in industrial or dangerous jobs.Cyprus,Malaysia,Oman,Rwanda,Sierra Leone,the Slovak Republic,and Togo together introduced 15 reforms e

82、xpanding maternity and paternity leave or prohibit-ing the workplace dismissal of a pregnant woman.Armenia,Equatorial Guinea,Jordan,Moldova,and Suriname enacted eight reforms prohibiting sexual harassment in the workplace.Nearly all economies performed poorly in the two indicators being tracked for

83、the first timeSafety and Childcare.The weakness is greatest in womens safety.The global average score is just 36,meaning women enjoy barely a third of the legal protections they need from domestic violence,sexual harassment,child marriage,and femicide.Although 151 economies have laws in place prohib

84、iting sexual harassment in the workplace,just 39 have laws prohibiting it in public spaces.Women do,then,face perils in using public transpor-tation to travel to work.Overall,139 economies lack adequate legislation prohibit-ing child marriage,which typically quashes a girls future educational and ec

85、onomic opportunities.Most economies also score poorly on laws pertaining to childcare.Women spend,on average,2.4 hours a day more on unpaid care work than menmuch of it involving children.Expanding access to childcare tends to increase womens participation in the labor force by about 1 percentage po

86、int initially,with the effect doubling within five years.Only 62 economiesfewer than a thirdhave established quality standards governing childcare services.As a result,in 128 economies women may think twice about going to work while they have children in their care.Women also face significant obstac

87、les in a variety of other areas.Entrepreneurship Globally,only 44 percent of the legal provisions that support the entrepreneurship of women are in place.MaiN MESSagESxv Across the world,women hold just one out of every five corporate board positions.Less than one in five economies mandate gender-se

88、nsitive criteria for public procure-ment processes,meaning women are largely cut out of a nearly US$10 trillion a year economic opportunity.Pay Women earn just 77 cents for every dollar paid to men.In all,92 economies lack provisions mandating equal pay for work of equal value;20prohibit a woman fro

89、m working at night;and 45 prohibit a woman from working in jobs deemed dangerous.Nationality rights In 28 economies,a woman cannot pass her nationality to children in the same way as a man.In 50 economies,a woman does not enjoy an equal right to confer citizenship on her foreign spouse.Such discrimi

90、natory provisions in nationality laws harm a womans economic oppor-tunities,limiting her inheritance and property rights and employment opportunities.Retirement In 62 economies,the age at which men and women can retire is not the same,with women retiring earlier than men.In 81 economies,a womans pen

91、sion benefits do not account for periods of work absences related to childcare.This edition of Women,Business and the Law highlights what governments can do to accelerate progress toward gender equality in business and the law.Accelerate efforts to reform laws and enact public policies that empower

92、women to work and start a business.Improve laws related to womens safety,access to childcare,and business opportunities.Establish frameworks that support the effective implementation of laws promoting gender equality.Enact legal reforms that mandate equal pay for work of equal value,and lift restric

93、-tions on a womans ability to work in industrial jobs.Expand maternity and paternity leave provisions,and prohibit the firing of pregnant women.Prohibit sexual harassment in the workplace,in public spaces,in education,and online.Provide financial support for parents with young children,and establish

94、 quality standards for childcare services.Implement legally binding quotas for women on corporate boards,and mandate gender-sensitive criteria for public procurement processes.Ensure equal retirement benefits for women,accounting for periods of work absences related to childcare.xviiExecutive Summar

95、yThe global gender gap for womens economic opportunities is significantly wider than previously thought.Although countries across the world have made substantial progress in enacting laws to provide equal opportunity for women,half of humanity3.9 billion women worldwideface legal barriers affecting

96、their economic participation.Women,Business and the Law 2024 introduces new measurements to track global progress toward legal gender equality in 190 economies.The 10th in a series,it presents two sets of data:Women,Business and the Law 1.0 and an expanded version,Women,Business and the Law 2.0(box

97、ES.1 and figure ES.1).Women,Business and the Law 1.0 updates data for the original eight indicators with reforms undertaken by economies over the last year(chapter 1).Women,Business and the Law 2.0 introduces a new framework for measuring the enabling environment for womens economic opportunities(ch

98、apter 2).For the first time,it goes beyond the measurement of lawsde jureand examines the existence of frameworks supporting implementation of the law and gauging experts opinions on the outcome of the law for womende facto.Following the“structure-process-outcome”model,Women,Business and the Law 2.0

99、 measures three pillars:legal rights(structure),supportive frameworks(process),and experts opinions on the law in practice(outcome)(table ES.1 and table ES.A.1).Women,Business and the Law 2.0 finds that women have about two-thirds of the rights of men and that nowhere in the world do women have the

100、same legal rights as men in all of the indicators measured.The global average Women,Business and the Law 2.0 legal frameworks score is 64.2 out of 100,indicating a significant gap in gender equality under the law.Remarkably,none of the 190 economies examined has achieved legal gender parity in the a

101、reas measured and thus no economy receives a score of 100(figure ES.2).WOMEN,BUSINESS AND THE LAW 2024xviiiBOX ES.1 FROM WOMEN,BUSINESS AND THE LAW 1.0 TO WOMEN,BUSINESS AND THE LAW 2.0 Women,Business and the Law identifies laws and policies that restrict womens economic inclusion.Its indexes align

102、areas of the law and public policy instruments with the economic decisions that women make throughout their lives and careers,identifying where and in what areas women continue to face hurdles.The Women,Business and the Law 1.0 and 2.0 indexes are supported by evidence on their relevance to womens e

103、conomic empowerment and reflect the international legal framework.The questions under each indicator were chosen based on evidence from the economic literature and statistically significant associations with outcomes related to womens economic empowerment.The international legal framework on womens

104、human rights,as set out in the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women(CEDAW)and International Labour Organization(ILO)conventions,provides an underlying justification for most questions.The Women,Business and the Law 1.0 and 2.0 legal indexes analyze domestic laws

105、 and regulations that affect womens economic opportunities.Answers to the questions in these indexes are based only on codified law.When the answers differ for different legal systems,the answer used is the one that applies to the majority of the population.The Women,Business and the Law 2.0 support

106、ive frameworks index analyzes instruments designed to support the implementation of laws.The instruments considered include national policies,plans,programs,services,budgets,procedures,inspections,and sanctions for noncompliance with quality standards.The Women,Business and the Law 2.0 expert opinio

107、ns index captures experts responses to scale questions focusing on the outcomes in the topic areas assessed by Women,Business and the Law.Each question asks for the respondents opinion on the extent to which these outcomes are being realized in practice in a particular economy.The Women,Business and

108、 the Law indexes rely on a series of assumptions,and questions are scored across all indicators.To make the data comparable,the methodology is designed as a replicable measure of the legal environment for women as entrepreneurs and employees.For example,the woman in question is assumed to reside in

109、the main business city of her economy and to be employed in the formal sector.This approach may not capture restrictions applicable to areas outside of the main business city or to informal workers.However,most of the indicators do have direct relevance for all women,including those who work in the

110、informal sectorfor example,laws and policies protecting women from violence or affecting womens free-dom of movement,ability to own or inherit property,or access to childcare services.Indicator-level scores are obtained by calculating the simple average of the answers to binary questions within each

111、 of the indicators and scaling the result by 100.Each economys overall score is calculated by taking the average of the indicator scores.The highest possible score is 100,indicating that men and women have equal rights and opportunities in all of the areas measured(see the data notes in appendix A f

112、or details).This score can be interpreted as a measure of the absence of legal inequality for a woman in the areas measured.To construct the indexes,Women,Business and the Law surveys more than 2,400 experts in laws and poli-cies pertaining to family,labor,and violence against women.Questionnaires a

113、re administered to lawyers,judges,academics,and members of civil society organizations working locally on gender issues.Respondents answers are collected and validated against codified sources of national laws,official information on gov-ernment websites,and official information in national budgets,

114、policies,and plans.To access the full data set used to construct the index,the data notes describing the methodology for each of the questions,the economy snapshots,as well as more research and analysis,visit the Women,Business and the Law website(https:/wbl.worldbank.org).ExECuTivE SuMMaryxixSource

115、:Women Business and the Law team.FIGURE ES.1|WOMEN,BUSINESS AND THE LAW 2.0 INTRODUCES NEW MEASUREMENTS TO TRACK GLOBAL PROGRESS TOWARD GENDER EQUALITYWomen,Business and the Law 1.0 Legal frameworksLaws and regulationsOriginalRevised(only legal)NewPensionAssetsEntrepreneurshipParenthoodMarriagePayWo

116、rkplaceMobilityExpert opinionsOpinions collected by surveying experts on womens rightsWomen,Business and the Law 2.0 Legal frameworksLaws and regulationsSupportive frameworksPublic policy instruments and access to justiceSafetyPensionAssetsEntrepreneurshipChildcareParenthoodMarriagePayWorkplaceMobil

117、ityThe Women,Business and the Law 2.0 legal frameworks index reveals notable regional disparities.Among the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development(OECD)high-income economies,11 score 90 or above,with Italy leading at 95,followed by New Zealand and Portugal with 92.5.By contrast,more

118、than 37 economies provide women with less than half of the legal rights enjoyed by men,affecting approximately half a billion women.Notably,high-income economies have an average score of 75.4.Upper-middle-income economies follow closely,with an average score of 66.8.The gap in scores between the hig

119、hest-and lowest-scoring economies is most pronounced in high-income economies,with a substantial difference of 75 points.WOMEN,BUSINESS AND THE LAW 2024xxTABLE ES.1INTRODUCING THE 10 INDICATORS OF WOMEN,BUSINESS AND THE LAW 2.0:TOWARD BETTER MEASUREMENT OF LAWS,POLICIES,AND PRACTICESIndicatorLegal f

120、rameworks indexSupportive frameworks indexExpert opinions indexSafetyLaws addressing child marriage,sexual harassment,domestic violence,and femicide Action plans,services for survivors,special procedures,monitoring and implementing agencies,and budget allocationsObservations on womens freedom from g

121、ender-based violenceMobilityConstraints to a womans agency and freedom of movement and new questions on conferring citizenship to children and spousesIdentification and passport application processes as well as gender-sensitive public transportation policies and plansObservations on womens freedom o

122、f movement in practiceWorkplaceProtections against discrimination based on gender,adding protections in recruitment and flexible work arrangementsGuidelines published by the government on nondiscrimination and flexible work arrangementsObservations on womens opportunities to enter and remain in the

123、workforce in practicePayMandates of equal remuneration for women and men for work of equal value and womens work at night,in industrial jobs,and in jobs deemed dangerousTransparency measures and enforcement mechanisms and the availability of statistical data on womens employment in different industr

124、iesObservations on equal remuneration for work of equal value and womens and mensequal access to high-paying jobs inpracticeMarriageConstraints related to marriage and divorce because equal rights in marriage and divorce are critical to a womans agency,financial security,and health Fast-track proces

125、ses in family disputes,specialized family courts,and legal aid in family law disputesObservations on womens and mens equal rights during marriage and divorce in practiceParenthoodThe availability of paid maternity and paternity leave,whether the cost is covered by the government,and whether dismissa

126、l of pregnant workers is prohibitedThe ease of application and incentives for fathers leave and availability of data on womens unpaid care workObservations on access to maternity and paternity leave in practiceChildcareLaws that regulate the availability,affordability,and quality of childcare servic

127、esFinancial support applications,databases of providers,and quality reports Observations on access to affordable and quality childcare services in practiceEntrepreneurshipConstraints to a womans ability to start and run a business,gender-sensitive criteria in public procurement,and quotas for women

128、on public corporate boardsThe availability of statistical data on womens business activities,government-led strategies and programs on womens entrepreneurship,and entrepreneurs access to financial servicesObservations on womens opportunities to start and run a business and womens and mens equal acce

129、ss to credit in practiceAssetsWomens rights to immovable assets,through property rights and inheritance,including land rightsPolicies supporting women in registering land,together with awareness campaigns and the availability of statistical data on womens property ownershipObservations on womens and

130、 mens equal enjoyment of the rights to immovable property in practicePensionDifferences in retirement ages and whether the law allows for pension care credits to compensate for a womans career interruptionsIncentives to increase womens retirement benefits and dedicated procedures to challenge benefi

131、t decisionsObservations on womens and mens equal enjoyment of pension benefits in practiceSource:Women,Business and the Law team.Safety,Entrepreneurship,and Childcare have the most room for improvement.Key areas such as labor market regulations,affordable and quality childcare,entrepreneurship suppo

132、rt,and womens safety lag significantly behind.Challenges persist in providing accessible childcare services,as reflected by a global Childcare indicator score of 47.6,with 90 out of 190 economies scoring 25 or lower.Moreover,more than 90 percent of economies lack comprehensive legal provisions for s

133、afety,indicated by a low score for the Safety indicator of 36.3,leaving more than 3 billion women and girls unprotected and highlighting the urgent need for legislation to protect women from violence.The Entrepreneurship indicator,which added two new areas ExECuTivE SuMMaryxxiof measurementgender-se

134、nsitive criteria in public procurement laws and whether laws establish quotas to increase womens presence on corporate boardsis now the second-lowest-scoring indicator,with a score of just 44.2(figure ES.3).Women,Business and the Law 2.0 also reveals a shocking implementation gap of 25 points at the

135、 global level(table ES.B.1).The new data set is the first to assess mechanisms to support the implementation of laws in 190 economies.The global Women,Business and the Law 2.0 supportive frameworks score is 39.5,meaning that only about two-fifths of the supportive frameworks needed to promote the im

136、plementation of gender-equal laws have been established.Every economy has substantial room for improvement.Even in OECD high-income economies,implementing mechanisms are widely missing,with only 68 percent of the supportive frameworks adopted.In the Middle East and North Africa,just a quarter of the

137、 implementing frameworks measured are currently in place,with slightly fewer in Sub-Saharan Africa(figure ES.4).Overall,the supportive frameworks needed to ensure the implementation of laws in all economies are widely missing across income groups.There is significant variation in the supportive fram

138、eworks scores across all income groups,highlighting the complexity of translating legal rights into tangible opportunities for women.This variation underscores the urgent need for proactive and nuanced approaches in all economies,regardless of income level,to bridge the gap between legal provisions

139、and actual empowerment.Source:Women,Business and the Law 2024 database.Note:Each vertical line represents the score of an economy in its respective region.Each blue circle indicates the average score for a region.The minimum and maximum scores within each region are specified.OECD=Organisation for E

140、conomic Co-operation and Development;WBL=Women,Business and the Law.FIGURE ES.2|SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA AND THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA SHOW THE LARGEST GAPS IN WBL 2.0 LEGAL FRAMEWORKS SCORES,EXCEEDING 60 POINTSDispersion of average WBL 2.0 legal frameworks scores,by region0708090100Midd

141、le East andNorth AfricaSouth AsiaSub-Saharan AfricaEast Asia and PacifcLatin America andthe CaribbeanEurope and Central AsiaOECD high income15.020.020.035.052.565.072.577.562.587.585.085.087.595.0WBL 2.0 legal frameworks score(0100)MinimumAverageMaximum77.057.457.869.145.984.938.6WOMEN,BUSINESS AND

142、THE LAW 2024xxiiFIGURE ES.3|SAFETY,ENTREPRENEURSHIP,AND CHILDCARE INDICATORS HAVE THE LARGEST LEGAL GAPSSource:Women,Business and the Law 2024 database.Note:WBL=Women,Business and the Law.84.779.278.874.571.665.460.047.644.236.3WBL 2.0 legal frameworks score,global average(64.2)0070809010

143、0MobilityMarriageAssetsPensionPayParenthoodWorkplaceChildcareEntrepreneurshipSafetyWBL 2.0 legal frameworks score(0100)WBL indicatorSource:Women,Business and the Law 2024 database.Note:Each vertical line represents the score of an economy in its respective region.Each blue circle indicates the avera

144、ge score for a region.The minimum and maximum scores within each region are specified.OECD=Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development;WBL=Women,Business and the Law.FIGURE ES.4|THE LOWEST SCORES FOR SUPPORTIVE FRAMEWORKS ARE IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA,FOLLOWED BY THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFR

145、ICADispersion of Women,Business and the Law supportive frameworks scores,by region02008090100Sub-Saharan AfricaMiddle East andNorth AfricaSouth AsiaEast Asia and PacifcLatin America andthe CaribbeanEurope and Central AsiaOECD high incomeWBL 2.0 supportive frameworks score(0100)MinimumAver

146、ageMaximum24.524.931.133.938.651.368.16.73.313.310.08.333.344.253.358.354.279.268.365.897.5ExECuTivE SuMMaryxxiiiSupportive frameworks could be more robust in critical areas such as Workplace,Assets,Childcare,and Pay.In these areas,among the most pressing issues are specific challenges related to se

147、x-disaggregated data for assessing and monitoring gender disparities,incentivizing the registration of joint or sole property for womens property rights,streamlining procedures to request financial support for childcare,and addressing the lack of transparency and enforcement mechanisms to narrow the

148、 gender pay gap.These areas require special attention when designing policies and programs to complement existing laws.According to the Women,Business and the Law 2.0 expert opinions index,about 66 percent of women enjoy equal rights with men,pointing to real-world implementation issues.Expert opini

149、ons surveys are a viable tool for gathering insight into data-limited areas and for achieving a better understanding of complex,hard-to-observe issues,although biases may skew perceptions away from reality.Expert opinions on womens rights in various areas are critical to evaluating societal prioriti

150、es and guiding policy makers and researchers in designing and implementing laws.The average scores for expert opinions on womens rights in practice vary across regions and income groups.The perception of womens rights in practice varies both among and within regions,with average expert opinions scor

151、es exceeding the global average of 65.7 concentrated in the OECD high-income,Europe and Central Asia,and Middle East and North Africa regions.Conversely,economies in all other regions have lower average scores,all falling below the global average on expert opinions(figure ES.5).Experts perceive wome

152、ns rights as being more advanced in Source:Women,Business and the Law 2024 database.Note:The sample size is restricted to the 164 economies for which expert opinions data are available.Each vertical line represents the score of an economy in its respective region.Each blue circle indicates the avera

153、ge score for a region.Theminimum and maximum scores within each region are specified.OECD=Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development;WBL=Women,Business and the Law.FIGURE ES.5|THE LARGEST RANGES IN EXPERT OPINIONS SCORES ARE WITHIN THE EAST ASIA AND PACIFIC AND SOUTHASIA REGIONSDispersio

154、n of Women,Business and the Law expert opinions scores,by region61.997.582.943.893.875.292.530.066.091.222.564.878.827.554.685.020.043.586.228.161.82008090100MinimumAverageMaximumWBL 2.0 expert opinions score(0100)0South AsiaSub-Saharan AfricaLatin America andthe CaribbeanEast Asia and Pa

155、cifcMiddle East andNorth AfricaEurope and Central AsiaOECD high incomeWOMEN,BUSINESS AND THE LAW 2024xxivthe areas of Pension,Mobility,and Assets.These areas focus,respectively,on equal pensionbenefits,freedom of movement,and property rights for women.By contrast,opinions on Safety and Childcare ind

156、icate that,in practice,womens rights in these areas are lagging significantly,highlighting a critical need for improvement in these domains.The majority of experts agree that less than half of women are free from gender-based violence and that women face important hurdles after having children.Only

157、a minority of experts indicate that“almost all women”have access to affordable and quality childcare services.Women,Business and the Law 2.0:Trends emerging from data analysis of new measurementsWomen,Business and the Law 2.0 reveals important gaps in legal frameworks,their enforcement,and perceived

158、 outcomes.The results emerging from the data call for a comprehensive set of actions to close gender gaps.These actions include reforming laws,introducing mechanisms to support the meaningful implementation of laws,launching awareness campaigns to reshape behaviors,and ultimately advancing the agend

159、a for gender equality.In addition,the indexes serve as a valuable public resource,providing evidence-based insights into all of these pillars and serving as a foundation for policy recommendations and research.Four main takeaways outline where legal and implementation gaps persist,how experts percei

160、ve womens reality on the ground,and where economies are progressing.1.The more ambitious Women,Business and the Law 2.0 framework displays an average 14-point drop in legal scores relative to the 1.0 framework.The inclusion of Childcare and Safety indicators and methodological refinements across ind

161、icators brought about a significant change in the observed legal landscape for womens economic inclusion.As a result of these revisions,economies experienced a noticeable reduction of about 14 points in their scores,on average(figure ES.6).This shift underscores the impact of the new indicators on t

162、he overall assessment of womens legal rights and highlights the evolving nature of gender equality measurement.2.Almost all economies,even those with the most gender-equal laws,face a substantive implementation gap.The Women,Business and the Law 2.0 legal frameworks index is significantly correlated

163、 with the supportive frameworks index:stronger laws on the books tend to be associated with stronger supportive frame-works(figure ES.7).However,the relationship between the Women,Business and the Law 2.0 legal and supportive frameworks scores is not exactly one-to-one,and making laws more gender-eq

164、ual is not uniformly accompanied by equivalent levels of policies,plans,budgets,or strategies to implement the letter of the law in practice.Broadly,economies with a Women,Business and the Law 2.0 legal score higher than 50(right-hand side of figure ES.7)have an average implementation gap of 27,whil

165、e those with a score of 50 and lower(left-hand side)exhibit an average gap of 19.5.This significant difference highlights that,while economies with lower legal frameworks scores still have substantial room for improvement in both the Women,Business and the Law 2.0 legal frameworks and supportive fra

166、meworks ExECuTivE SuMMaryxxvFIGURE ES.6|ECONOMIES WITH HIGH SCORES ON THE WBL 1.0 LEGAL INDEX CONTINUE TO HAVE HIGH SCORES ON THE WBL 2.0 LEGAL INDEXSource:Women,Business and the Law 2024 database.Note:The figure depicts a correlation between the Women,Business and the Law 1.0 and 2.0 legal framewor

167、ks scores.Each point represents a single economy within a region.A fitted regression line(red)is also included.OECD=Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development;WBL=Women,Business and the Law.ItalyMauritiusComorosViet NamCambodiaArmeniaTrkiyeLatviaChileBahamas,TheSt.LuciaPanamaBahrainIran,

168、Islamic Rep.BhutanAfghanistan0020406080090WBL 1.0 legal frameworks score(0100)WBL 2.0 legal frameworks score(0100)East Asia and PacifcMiddle East and North AfricaOECD high incomeEurope and Central AsiaLatin America and the CaribbeanSouth AsiaSub-Saharan Africaindexes

169、,economies with higher legal frameworks scores,on average,face a greater implementation gap.However,there are stark within-region differences.This phenomenon may arise because these economies have recently undertaken legal reforms without implementing corresponding policies,such as in the case ofCte

170、 dIvoire,which exhibits the largest difference betweenthe 2.0 legal frameworks(77.5)andsupportive frameworks(24.2)scores.Alternatively,the larger gaps in economies with higher legal gender equality scores could be attributed to the fact that they set a higher standard in their legal frameworks.WOMEN

171、,BUSINESS AND THE LAW 2024xxvi The implementation gaps are also different across indicators.For instance,the Safety indicator highlights that about 55 percent of economies have comprehen-sive laws addressing domestic violence,and 27 percent have adequate legislation addressing child marriage,but onl

172、y 43 percent have developed comprehensive mechanisms to address multiple forms of violence against women.In the area of Workplace,workers in 36 percent of economies have the option of requesting flexible work arrangements either through flexible hours or remote work,but only 19 percent of economies

173、have published guidelines on flexible work arrangements.In the area of Pay,about 52percent of economies worldwide have legal provisions FIGURE ES.7|MORE GENDER-EQUAL LAWS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH BETTER SUPPORTIVE FRAMEWORKSSource:Women,Business and the Law 2024 database.Note:The figure depicts the corre

174、lation between the WBL 2.0 supportive frameworks scores and the legal frameworks scores.Each point represents a single economy.A fitted regression line(red)is also included.OECD=Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development;WBL=Women,Business and the Law.SingaporeTaiwan,ChinaKazakhstanSan M

175、arinoGreeceUnited KingdomCanadaSurinameBelizeUnited Arab EmiratesIran,Islamic Rep.JordanWest Bank and GazaBangladeshBhutanCte dIvoireTimor-LesteSudan0020406080002040608090WBL 2.0 supportive frameworks score(0100)WBL 2.0 legal frameworks score(0100)East Asia and PacifcMiddle Eas

176、t and North AfricaOECD high incomeEurope and Central AsiaLatin America and the CaribbeanSouth AsiaSub-Saharan Africa45ExECuTivE SuMMaryxxviimandating equal remuneration for work of equal value,but only 18percent have pay transparency measures or enforcement mechanisms to address the gender pay gap.U

177、nder Parenthood,while 65 percent of economies offer fathers at least one day of paid leave for the birth of a child,only 16percent of economies provide incentives for fathers to take paternity leave upon the birth of a child.Further,as shown in the new Childcare indicator,while 77 percent of economi

178、es establish the center-based provision of childcare services,only 47 percent of economies have put in place a publicly available centralized registry or database of registered childcare providers.In the area of Entrepreneurship,only 13 percent of econo-mies requirepublicly listed companies to have

179、a legally binding gender quota for corporate boards,and only 35 percent of economies publish statistics on women-owned businesses,which are key for the design of effective public policies and programs.The biggest constraint under Assets remains the lack of legal recognition of a womans nonmonetary c

180、ontributions to her family,which is true in 29 percent of economies.Finally,under Pension,in 33 percent of economies,the ages at which men and women can retire are not the same,and in 43 percent of economies,the periods of absence arising from childcare are not accounted for in pension benefits;only

181、 15 percent of economies provide some form of incentive that affects womens retirement benefits.3.When legal frameworks are more gender-equal,experts perceive a better reality for women on the ground,but this relationship is not as strong as with supportive frameworks.A comparison of the Women,Busin

182、ess and the Law 2.0 legal frameworks index and expert opinions index reveals a significant association between the legal status of economies and the perceptions of womens rights in practice(figure ES.8).The Women,Business and the Law 2.0 legal frameworks global average score is 64.2,and the expert o

183、pinions global average score is 65.7.However,this association is weaker than the one observed between scores of the legal frameworks index and the supportive frameworks index,with some excep-tions.Supportive frameworks generally follow patterns similar to those of legal results,but with a lag;the re

184、lationship with expert opinions is less clear.In econo-mies with higher legal scores,the difference between the expert opinions score and the legal frameworks score tends to be more pronounced.This finding suggests that there is a greater degree of variation and complexity in how experts perceive le

185、gal standards,which can be influenced by the specific context.The alignment between expert opinions and legal frameworks varies across and within regions,often deviating from the trends seen in the legal index(figureES.9).For example,economies in the Middle East and North Africa region generally exh

186、ibit more favorable views of womens rights than is reflected in the scores on the legal frameworks index.Similarly,the East Asia and the Pacific region tends to score higher on expert opinions than on the legal frameworks index,while the Latin America and the Caribbean region scores lower on expert

187、opinions than on the legal index.4.Eighteen countries made progress toward legal gender equality by enacting reforms captured by the Women,Business and the Law 1.0 index.Women,Business and the Law 2024 presents updated data and scores to register the prog-ress toward legal gender equality that econo

188、mies made between October 2,2022,and October 1,2023,as measured by the original eight Women,Business and the WOMEN,BUSINESS AND THE LAW 2024xxviiiFIGURE ES.8|MORE GENDER-EQUAL LAWS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THE PERCEPTION OF MORE RIGHTS FOR WOMEN IN PRACTICESource:Women,Business and the Law 2024 database.

189、Note:The figure depicts the correlation between WBL 2.0 expert opinions scores and the legal frameworks scores.Each point represents a single economy in the sample of 164 economies for which expert opinions data are available.A fitted regression line(red)is also included.OECD=Organisation for Econom

190、ic Co-operation and Development;WBL=Women,Business and the Law.Timor-LesteBrunei DarussalamKosovoRussian FederationIcelandItalySlovak RepublicSt.Kitts and NevisEl SalvadorQatarYemen,Rep.West Bank and GazaMoroccoBhutanPakistanIndiaSo Tom and PrncipeMauritania00204060800020406080

191、90WBL 2.0 expert opinions score(0100)WBL 2.0 legal frameworks score(0100)East Asia and PacifcMiddle East and North AfricaOECD high incomeEurope and Central AsiaLatin America and the CaribbeanSouth AsiaSub-Saharan Africa45Law 1.0 indicators.Between 2022 and 2023,only 18 economiesfewer than 1out of ev

192、ery 10enacted reforms across all Women,Business and the Law 1.0 indica-tors(figure ES.10).These economies represent a variety of income levels.In all,they enacted 47 reforms to increase gender equality under the law.All regions introduced reforms,with the sole exception of South Asia,which did not r

193、egister any reform for the first time in 18years.Six economies in Sub-Saharan Africa led the reform efforts:Equatorial Guinea,Lesotho,Rwanda,Sierra Leone,Togo,and Uganda.Notably,Rwanda,Sierra Leone,and Togo enacted 16 legal changes.In the Middle East and North Africa,three economiesJordan,Oman,and Q

194、atarintroduced 10 reforms.In Europe and Central Asia,five economiesArmenia,Azerbaijan,Cyprus,Moldova,ExECuTivE SuMMaryxxixFIGURE ES.9|SUPPORTIVE FRAMEWORKS LAG BEHIND LEGAL FRAMEWORKS AND EXPERT OPINIONS SCORES ACROSS REGIONS AND INCOME GROUPSSource:Women,Business and the Law 2024 database.Note:Regi

195、ons and income groups are sorted by the legal frameworks score average,from lowest to highest.The sample size is restricted to the 164 economies for which expert opinions data are available.Repblica Bolivariana de Venezuela is excluded from the income group analysis because it is currently not class

196、ified by the World Bank,owing to a lack of reliable data of adequate quality.OECD=Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development;WBL=Women,Business and the Law.02040600100OECD high incomeEurope and Central AsiaLatin America and the CaribbeanEast Asia and PacifcSub-Saharan AfricaSo

197、uth AsiaMiddle East and North Africaa.By region02040608000High incomeUpper middle incomeLower middle incomeLow incomeScoreScoreb.By income groupWBL 2.0 supportive frameworks score(0100)WBL 2.0 legal frameworks score(0100)WBL 2.0 expert opinions score(0100)and Uzbekistanenacted nine reform

198、s.Malaysia,in the East Asia and Pacific region,enacted four reforms,while Suriname,in Latin America and the Caribbean,enacted two reforms and Belize enacted one.Among OECD high-income economies,the Slovak Republic was the only country to reform.Overall,the economies that improved the most were Jorda

199、n,Malaysia,Sierra Leone,Togo,and Uzbekistan,thanks to com-prehensive reforms in multiple areas,which raised their scores by between 19 and 28 percentage points.The Parenthood,Pay,and Workplace 1.0 indicators recorded the highest number of reforms over the last year.Other indicators registered fewer

200、reforms,in part because a higher level of equality had been reached in some of the areas measured(Entrepreneurship)and in part because these indicators measure notoriously sticky areas of the law(Mobility and Assets).WOMEN,BUSINESS AND THE LAW 2024xxxFIGURE ES.10|IN 202223,18 ECONOMIES ENACTED REFOR

201、MS ACROSS ALL WOMEN,BUSINESS AND THE LAW 1.0INDICATORSNumber of reforms since October 2022,by economy,indicator,and regionSource:Women,Business and the Law 2024 database.Note:OECD=Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development;WBL=Women,Business and the Law.01112131415Latin Americ

202、a and the CaribbeanSub-Saharan AfricaMiddle East and North AfricaEast Asia and PacifcOECD high incomeSouth AsiaEurope and Central AsiaTogoBelizeTogoRwandaQatarQatarSierra LeoneUzbekistanUgandaTogoTogoLesothoMalaysiaOmanJordanUzbekistanUzbekistanUzbekistanAzerbaijanAzerbaijanSierra LeoneSierra LeoneS

203、urinameSurinameJordanJordanJordanMoldovaArmeniaSierra LeoneEquatorialGuineaEquatorialGuineaSlovakRepublicMalaysiaMalaysiaMalaysiaOmanOmanOmanCyprusTogoTogoSierra LeoneSierra LeoneSierra LeoneRwandaRwandaParenthoodPayWorkplaceMarriagePensionEntrepreneurshipAssetsMobilityCount of reformsWBL indicators

204、The way forwardThe new Women,Business and the Law 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 womens rights are not always in line with what is needed to

205、 implement those rights in practice.These gaps should be explored further.By improving these measures in the future,Women,Business and the Law plans to deliver more comprehensive data to inform policy dialogue and reform,thereby allowing more women to realize their rights and boosting economic inclu

206、sion and labor force participation worldwide.ExECuTivE SuMMaryxxxiAnnex ES.A Women,Business and the Law 2.0 questionsTABLE ES.A.1WOMEN,BUSINESS AND THE LAW 2.0 QUESTIONSIndicatorLegal frameworksSupportive frameworksExpert opinionsSafety1.Does the law address child marriage?2.Does the law address sex

207、ual harassment?3.Does the law address domestic violence?4.Does the law address femicide?1.Has the government developed comprehensive mechanisms to address violence against women?2.Are special procedures in place for cases of sexual harassment?3.Is a government entity responsible for monitoring and i

208、mplementing national services,plans,and programs addressing violence against women?4.Is an annual budgetary allocation devoted to violence against women risk mitigation,prevention,and response programs?1.In practice,are women free from gender-based violence?Mobility1.Can a woman choose where to live

209、 in the same way as a man?2.Can a woman travel internationally in the same way as a man?3.Can a woman travel outside her home in the same way as a man?4.Do a woman and a man have equal rights to confer citizenship on their spouses and their children?1.Are passport application processes the same for

210、a woman and a man?2.Are the application processes for official identity documents the same for a woman and a man?3.Does a current policy or plan explicitly consider the specific mobility needs of women in public transportation?1.In practice,do women enjoy the same freedom of movement as men?Workplac

211、e1.Can a woman get a job in the same way as a man?2.Does the law explicitly prohibit discrimination in recruitment based on marital status,parental status,and age?3.Does the law prohibit discrimination in employment based on gender?4.Does the law allow employees to request flexible work?1.Does a spe

212、cialized body receive complaints about gender discrimination in employment?2.Has the government published guidelines on nondiscrimination based on gender in recruitment?3.Has the government published guidelines on flexible work arrangements?1.In practice,do women enjoy the same opportunities to ente

213、r the workplace as men?2.In practice,do women enjoy the same opportunities to remain in the workplace as men?Pay1.Does the law mandate equal remuneration for work of equal value?2.Can a woman work at night in the same way as a man?3.Can a woman work in a job deemed dangerous in the same way as a man

214、?4.Can a woman work in an industrial job in the same way as a man?1.Are pay transparency measures or enforcement mechanisms in place to address the pay gap?2.Have sex-disaggregated data on employment in different industries or sectors been published?1.In practice,do women and men enjoy equal remuner

215、ation for work of equal value?2.In practice,do women and men have equal access to high-paying jobs?(Table continues next page)WOMEN,BUSINESS AND THE LAW 2024xxxiiTABLE ES.A.1WOMEN,BUSINESS AND THE LAW 2.0 QUESTIONS(continued)IndicatorLegal frameworksSupportive frameworksExpert opinionsMarriage1.Is t

216、he law free of legal provisions that require a married woman to obey her husband?2.Can a woman be“head of household”or“head of family”in the same way as a man?3.Can a woman obtain a judgment of divorce in the same way as a man?4.Does a woman have the same rights to remarry as a man?1.Is there a fast

217、-track process or procedure for family law disputes?2.Are there specialized family courts?3.Is legal aid available for family law disputes?1.In practice,do women and men enjoy equal rights during marriage?2.In practice,do women and men enjoy equal rights when getting a divorce?Parenthood1.Is paid le

218、ave of at least 14 weeks available to mothers?2.Are leave benefits for mothers paid solely by the government?3.Is paid leave available to fathers?4.Is dismissal of pregnant workers prohibited?1.Is it possible to apply for maternity benefits through a single government application process?2.Are incen

219、tives in place to encourage fathers to take paternity leave upon the birth of a child?3.Have sex-disaggregated data on unpaid care work been published?1.In practice,do women have access to paid leave for the birth of a child?2.In practice,do men have access to paid leave for the birth of a child?Chi

220、ldcare1.Does the law establish the provision of center-based childcare services?2.Does the law establish any form of support for families for childcare services?3.Does the law establish any form of support for nonstate childcare providers?4.Does the law establish quality standards for the provision

221、of center-based childcare services?1.Is there a publicly available registry or database of childcare providers?2.Is there a clearly outlined application procedure to request financial support from the government for childcare services by parents?3.Is there a clearly outlined application procedure to

222、 request financial support from the government for childcare services by nonstate childcare providers?4.Has the government published any reports on the quality of childcare services?1.In practice,do women have access to affordable and quality childcare services?Entrepreneurship1.Can a woman undertak

223、e entrepreneurial activities in the same way as a man?2.Does the law prohibit discrimination in access to credit based on gender?3.Does the law prescribe a gender quota for corporate boards?4.Does the law include gender-sensitive procurement provisions for public procurement processes?1.Have sex-dis

224、aggregated data on business activities,entrepreneurship,or women-owned businesses been published?2.Are government-led programs supporting female entrepreneurs providing access to finance and training,coaching,or business development?3.Does a current national government plan or strategy focus on wome

225、ns access to financial services?1.In practice,do women enjoy the same opportunities to start and run a business as men?2.In practice,do women and men have equal access to credit?Assets1.Do a woman and a man have equal administrative power and ownership rights to immovable property,including land?2.D

226、o sons and daughters have equal rights to inherit assets?3.Do male and female surviving spouses have equal rights to inherit assets?4.Does the law provide for the valuation of nonmonetary contributions?1.Are mechanisms or incentives in place to encourage women to register immovable property(includin

227、g joint titling)?2.Are awareness measures in place to improve womens access to information about marital and inheritance rights?3.Have anonymized sex-disaggregated data on property ownership been published?1.In practice,do women and men enjoy equal rights to immovable property?(Table continues next

228、page)ExECuTivE SuMMaryxxxiiiTABLE ES.A.1WOMEN,BUSINESS AND THE LAW 2.0 QUESTIONS(continued)IndicatorLegal frameworksSupportive frameworksExpert opinionsPension1.Are the ages at which a woman and a man can retire with full pension benefits the same?2.Are the ages at which a woman and a man can retire

229、 with partial pension benefits the same?3.Is the mandatory retirement age for a woman and a man the same?4.Are periods of absence due to childcare accounted for in pension benefits?1.Are incentives in place to increase womens retirement benefits?2.Is a procedure in place for pension beneficiaries to

230、 challenge the decisions of the competent authority regarding their benefits?1.In practice,do women and men enjoy equal pension benefits after retirement?Source:Women,Business and the Law 2024 database.Annex ES.B Women,Business and the Law 1.0 and 2.0 scoresTABLE ES.B.1WOMEN,BUSINESS AND THE LAW 1.0

231、 AND 2.0 SCORESEconomyWBL 1.0 legal frameworks scoreWBL 2.0 legal frameworks scoreWBL 2.0 supportive frameworks scoreWBL 2.0 expert opinions scoreBelgium100.0 90.0 69.2 90.0 Canada100.0 90.0 97.5 Denmark100.0 80.0 60.0 91.3 France100.0 90.0 87.5 72.5 Germany100.0 85.0 82.5 85.6 Greece100.0 87.5 44.2

232、 83.1 Iceland100.0 82.5 69.2 94.4 Ireland100.0 85.0 81.7 89.4 Latvia100.0 77.5 49.2 88.8 Luxembourg100.0 85.0 70.0 90.0 Netherlands100.0 90.0 60.8 79.4 Portugal100.0 92.5 50.8 75.0 Spain100.0 90.0 82.5 81.3 Sweden100.0 82.5 72.5 91.3 Estonia97.5 85.0 48.3 92.5 Finland97.5 85.0 77.5 95.0 Italy97.5 95

233、.0 65.0 68.8 New Zealand97.5 92.5 70.0 Togo97.5 77.5 27.5 71.3 United Kingdom97.5 82.5 87.5 81.3 Australia96.9 90.0 81.7 88.8 Austria96.9 90.0 82.5 85.6(Table continues next page)WOMEN,BUSINESS AND THE LAW 2024xxxivTABLE ES.B.1WOMEN,BUSINESS AND THE LAW 1.0 AND 2.0 SCORES(continued)EconomyWBL 1.0 le

234、gal frameworks scoreWBL 2.0 legal frameworks scoreWBL 2.0 supportive frameworks scoreWBL 2.0 expert opinions scoreCyprus96.9 82.5 55.8 82.5 Norway96.9 87.5 75.8 97.5 Slovenia96.9 90.0 60.8 90.0 Cte dIvoire95.0 77.5 24.2 53.8 Gabon95.0 77.5 29.2 53.1 Peru95.0 85.0 68.3 58.8 Paraguay94.4 80.0 40.8 46.

235、9 Croatia93.8 87.5 61.7 Czechia93.8 82.5 59.2 76.3 Hungary 93.8 *87.5 52.5 93.1 Lithuania93.8 85.0 54.2 91.9 Poland93.8 82.5 67.5 61.9 Serbia93.8 82.5 56.7 73.8 Sierra Leone92.5 72.5 34.2 52.5 Costa Rica91.9 82.5 50.8 60.6 Hong Kong SAR,China91.9 75.0 65.0 86.3 Kosovo91.9 85.0 51.7 43.8 Rwanda91.9 7

236、2.5 53.3 50.6 Albania91.3 77.5 45.0 68.8 Malta91.3 77.5 58.3 87.5 Taiwan,China91.3 75.0 79.2 83.8 United States91.3 85.0 75.0 62.5 Armenia90.6 75.0 33.3 71.9 Bulgaria90.6 82.5 65.8 90.6 Moldova90.6 77.5 43.3 75.0 Mongolia90.6 77.5 52.5 61.3 Romania90.6 82.5 45.0 87.5 Ecuador89.4 82.5 63.3 66.3 Mauri

237、tius89.4 87.5 52.5 67.5 Bolivia88.8 70.0 39.2 65.0 El Salvador88.8 82.5 42.5 31.3 Mexico88.8 82.5 65.8 41.3 Uruguay88.8 80.0 55.8 83.8 Georgia88.1 77.5 57.5 50.0 Korea,Rep.88.1 *82.5 74.2 South Africa88.1 77.5 40.0(Table continues next page)ExECuTivE SuMMaryxxxvTABLE ES.B.1WOMEN,BUSINESS AND THE LAW

238、 1.0 AND 2.0 SCORES(continued)EconomyWBL 1.0 legal frameworks scoreWBL 2.0 legal frameworks scoreWBL 2.0 supportive frameworks scoreWBL 2.0 expert opinions scoreSwitzerland88.1 75.0 69.2 73.8 Viet Nam88.1 85.0 45.8 83.8 Slovak Republic87.5 75.0 53.3 86.9 Guyana86.9 70.0 25.8 75.0 Zimbabwe86.9 60.0 3

239、5.8 50.6 Cabo Verde86.3 70.0 28.3 66.3 Dominican Republic86.3 72.5 60.0 67.5 Nicaragua86.3 67.5 30.0 69.4 Timor-Leste86.3 65.0 23.3 31.3 Lao PDR 85.6 *72.5 41.7 90.0 Azerbaijan85.0 72.5 41.7 83.8 Bosnia and Herzegovina85.0 77.5 47.5 81.9 Brazil85.0 80.0 55.8 61.9 Montenegro85.0 80.0 50.8 85.0 North

240、Macedonia85.0 80.0 56.7 78.8 San Marino 85.0 *77.5 33.3 93.8 Ukraine85.0 75.0 50.0 82.5 Venezuela,RB85.0 70.0 24.2 60.0 Colombia84.4 77.5 62.5 63.8 Benin83.8 70.0 29.2 65.6 Kenya 83.8 *70.0 45.0 60.6 Puerto Rico(US)83.8 80.0 29.2 66.9 St.Lucia83.8 57.5 26.7 80.0 Uganda83.8 67.5 41.7 50.6 So Tom and

241、Prncipe83.1 65.0 16.7 27.5 Belize82.5 62.5 62.5 58.1 Burkina Faso82.5 65.0 20.8 62.5 Fiji82.5 62.5 34.2 30.6 Mozambique82.5 65.0 35.0 61.3 Singapore82.5 65.0 64.2 84.4 Trkiye82.5 80.0 55.8 58.8 United Arab Emirates82.5 62.5 24.2 81.9 Uzbekistan82.5 75.0 55.8 53.8 Bahamas,The81.3 55.0 17.5 63.8 Cambo

242、dia81.3 55.0 40.0 71.3 Liberia81.3 60.0 23.3(Table continues next page)WOMEN,BUSINESS AND THE LAW 2024xxxviTABLE ES.B.1WOMEN,BUSINESS AND THE LAW 1.0 AND 2.0 SCORES(continued)EconomyWBL 1.0 legal frameworks scoreWBL 2.0 legal frameworks scoreWBL 2.0 supportive frameworks scoreWBL 2.0 expert opinions

243、 scoreTanzania81.3 65.0 24.2 51.9 Zambia81.3 72.5 29.2 78.8 Grenada80.6 67.5 17.5 60.0 Israel80.6 75.0 50.8 Lesotho80.6 55.0 20.0 60.0 Nepal80.6 62.5 43.3 47.5 Barbados80.0 65.0 25.8 75.0 Chile80.0 77.5 65.0 62.5 Ethiopia 80.0 *60.0 30.8 43.1 Malawi80.0 57.5 29.2 65.0 Namibia 80.0 *67.5 29.2 74.4 An

244、gola79.4 62.5 26.7 66.3 Argentina79.4 75.0 56.7 56.3 Panama79.4 80.0 33.3 77.5 Congo,Dem.Rep.78.8 60.0 22.5 36.9 Japan78.8 72.5 67.5 67.5 Philippines78.8 70.0 54.2 58.8 Tajikistan78.8 70.0 48.3 76.3 China78.1 65.0 53.3 76.3 Thailand78.1 60.0 31.7 77.5 Central African Republic 77.5 *52.5 13.3 35.0 Ky

245、rgyz Republic76.9 65.0 51.7 Suriname 76.9 *65.0 8.3 62.5 Burundi76.3 52.5 21.7 56.9 Kiribati76.3 60.0 20.8 56.9 Seychelles76.3 70.0 20.0 Belarus75.6 67.5 50.0 Kazakhstan75.6 70.0 62.5 76.3 Morocco75.6 60.0 45.0 66.3 Bhutan75.0 52.5 15.0 85.0 Ghana75.0 55.0 35.8 56.3 Honduras75.0 65.0 35.8 52.5 Samoa

246、75.0 55.0 25.0 72.5 Trinidad and Tobago75.0 65.0 45.0 59.4 India74.4 60.0 54.2 35.6 Jamaica74.4 60.0 42.5 55.6 Guatemala73.8 60.0 33.3 55.0(Table continues next page)ExECuTivE SuMMaryxxxviiTABLE ES.B.1WOMEN,BUSINESS AND THE LAW 1.0 AND 2.0 SCORES(continued)EconomyWBL 1.0 legal frameworks scoreWBL 2.

247、0 legal frameworks scoreWBL 2.0 supportive frameworks scoreWBL 2.0 expert opinions scoreGuinea73.8 52.5 20.8 Maldives73.8 52.5 26.7 48.8 Russian Federation73.1 70.0 59.2 90.0 Senegal72.5 50.0 28.3 Djibouti71.3 50.0 26.7 58.1 Saudi Arabia71.3 50.0 36.7 85.6 St.Kitts and Nevis71.3 57.5 18.3 86.3 Indon

248、esia70.6 60.0 42.5 43.1 Eritrea69.4 50.0 6.7 Gambia,The69.4 52.5 16.7 55.0 Madagascar69.4 50.0 11.7 54.4 Antigua and Barbuda 68.8 *52.5 35.0 79.4 Bahrain68.1 45.0 35.0 92.5 St.Vincent and the Grenadines68.1 52.5 15.0 South Sudan67.5 50.0 15.0 Chad66.3 52.5 20.8 45.0 Nigeria66.3 50.0 21.7 45.0 Marsha

249、ll Islands65.6 50.0 15.0 Sri Lanka65.6 45.0 30.0 41.3 Comoros65.0 37.5 10.0 52.5 Tunisia64.4 45.0 27.5 70.0 Botswana63.8 52.5 13.3 57.5 Mali63.8 47.5 15.0 37.5 Dominica62.5 55.0 26.7 48.8 Haiti61.3 52.5 20.8 28.1 Micronesia,Fed.Sts.61.3 45.0 11.7 52.5 Malaysia60.6 47.5 40.8 81.3 Cameroon60.0 45.0 23

250、.3 50.0 Papua New Guinea60.0 47.5 10.0 Jordan59.4 42.5 50.0 52.5 Lebanon58.8 40.0 17.5 53.8 Myanmar58.8 50.0 11.7 Pakistan58.8 42.5 31.7 20.0 Tonga58.8 40.0 14.2 41.3 Congo,Rep.58.1 45.0 6.7 46.3 Equatorial Guinea58.1 50.0 22.5 73.8 Algeria57.5 40.0 15.0 82.5(Table continues next page)WOMEN,BUSINESS

251、 AND THE LAW 2024xxxviiiTABLE ES.B.1WOMEN,BUSINESS AND THE LAW 1.0 AND 2.0 SCORES(continued)EconomyWBL 1.0 legal frameworks scoreWBL 2.0 legal frameworks scoreWBL 2.0 supportive frameworks scoreWBL 2.0 expert opinions scoreSolomon Islands56.9 42.5 18.3 22.5 Palau56.3 42.5 11.7 Vanuatu55.6 42.5 16.7

252、Niger 53.8 *37.5 19.2 33.1 Brunei Darussalam53.1 35.0 24.2 91.3 Guinea-Bissau 51.9 *45.0 11.7 Egypt,Arab Rep.50.6 37.5 26.7 Libya50.0 32.5 11.7 43.8 Bangladesh49.4 32.5 35.0 26.3 Iraq48.1 32.5 17.5 Mauritania48.1 35.0 17.5 65.0 Somalia46.9 32.5 18.3 Eswatini46.3 35.0 17.5 40.6 Oman46.3 32.5 15.8 63.

253、8 Syrian Arab Republic40.0 30.0 9.2 64.4 Kuwait38.1 20.0 18.3 73.1 Qatar35.6 22.5 17.5 90.0 Sudan 32.5 *20.0 18.3 Afghanistan31.9 20.0 13.3 Iran,Islamic Rep.31.3 22.5 21.7 30.0 Yemen,Rep.26.9 15.0 3.3 33.1 West Bank and Gaza26.3 15.0 20.8 60.0 Source:Women,Business and the Law 2024 database.Note:Col

254、ored dots indicate the scores fall in the following ranges:75100;5075;2550;025.“”indicates that the WBL 2.0 expert opinions scores are not available due to an insufficient number of responses.Economies are sorted based on the WBL 1.0 legal score.Economies with a green check()saw an improvement in th

255、eir WBL1.0legal score due to reforms in one or more areas.Economies with an asterisk(*)saw a change in their WBL 1.0 legal score stemming from revisions arising from new information and coding consistency.WBL=Women,Business and the Law.xxxixABBREVIATIONSCEDAW Convention on the Elimination of All For

256、ms of Discrimination against WomenCEDAW GR Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women General RecommendationsCOVID-19 coronavirus disease 2019 ILO International Labour OrganizationNGO nongovernmental organizationOECD Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development OHADA Orga

257、nization for the Harmonization of Business Law in Africa SAR Special Administrative RegionSDG Sustainable Development GoalUN United Nations V-Dem Varieties of Democracy WBL Women,Business and the Law All dollar amounts are US dollars unless otherwise indicated.1Tracking Progress on Womens Legal Righ

258、tsIntroductionGender equality is essential for ending poverty on a livable planet.By ensuring that gender-based discrimination does not hinder womens access to resources and opportunities,a gender-inclusive society can maximize its human capital and productivity.Inclusion starts with equal laws.Equa

259、l treatment of women under the law is associated with more women entering and remaining in the labor force and rising to managerial positions(Amin and Islam 2022;Islam,Muzi,and Amin 2019).Equal treatment also generates higher wages for women and facilitates business ownership by more women(Htun,Jens

260、enius,and Nelson-Nuez 2019).And yet discriminatory laws persist in all regions,depriving women of their human rights and threatening their ability to contribute fully to their regions economy and overall global prosperity.Women,Business and the Law 2024 identifies where in the world and in what area

261、s legal inequalities still prevail.In doing so,it serves as an important resource for achieving womens economic empowerment.The 10th in a series,the 2024 edition updates the original eight-indicator data set and indexWomen,Business and the Law 1.0highlighting recent reforms and opportunities for the

262、 legal initiatives needed to achieve gender equality.Women,Business and the Law 2024 also updates its measurements by presenting a new index,Women,Business and the Law 2.0(chapter 2)that will be refined in the 2025 edition of the report.For nearly 15 years,Women,Business and the Law has served as a

263、framework that governments and civil society alike can use to identify and remove the barriers to womens social and economic success and boost their economic empowerment.Since 2020,an index structured around a womans working life has guided the analysis,celebrating the progress made while emphasizin

264、g the work still to be done(box 1.1).CHAPTER 1WOMEN,BUSINESS AND THE LAW 20242BOX 1.1 ABOUT WOMEN,BUSINESS AND THE LAWWomen,Business and the Law identifies laws that restrict womens economic inclusion.Its index aligns different areas of the law with the economic decisions that women make throughout

265、their lives and careers and identifies where and in what areas women continue to face hurdles(figure B1.1.1).The eight Women,Business and the Law indicators are supported by evidence on their relevance to womens economic empowerment and reflect the international legal framework.The questions under e

266、ach indicator were chosen based on evidence from the economic literature and on statistically significant associations with outcomes related to womens economic empowerment at the time of the creation of the index in 2019.The international legal framework on womens human rights,as set out in the Conv

267、ention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women(CEDAW)and International Labour Organization(ILO)conventions,also provides an underlying justification for each question.The Women,Business and the Law index relies on a series of assumptions and scores 35 questions across the eig

268、ht indicators.To make the data comparable,the indicators are designed to be a replicable measure of the legal environment for women as entrepreneurs and employees.For example,the woman in question is assumed to reside in the main business city of her economy and to be employed in the formal sector.I

269、ndicator-level scores are obtained by calculating the simple average of the answers to the four or five binary questions within each of the eight indicators and scaling the result by 100.Each economys overall score is calculated by taking the average of the eight indicator scores.The highest possibl

270、e score is 100,indicating equal rights and opportunities for men and women in all 35 areas of measurement(see the data notes in appendix A for details).This perfect score can be interpreted as a measure of the absence of legal inequality for a woman in the areas measured.To construct the index,Women

271、,Business and the Law surveys more than 2,400 experts in family,labor,and violence against women legislation.Questionnaires are administered to lawyers,judges,academics,and mem-bers of civil society organizations working locally on gender issues.Women,Business and the Law collects respondents answer

272、s and validates them against codified sources of national law.To access the full data set used to construct the index,the data notes describing the methodology for each one of the questions,the economy snapshots,as well as more research and analysis,visit the Women,Business and the Law website(https

273、:/wbl.worldbank.org).FIGURE B1.1.1|THE EIGHT WOMEN,BUSINESS AND THE LAW 1.0 INDICATORSPayMeasures laws and regulationsafecting womens payParenthoodExamines laws afecting womens work after having childrenEntrepreneurshipAnalyzes constraints on womensstarting and running businessesAssetsConsiders gend

274、er diferencesin property and inheritancePensionAssesses laws afecting thesize of a womans pensionMobilityExamines constraintson freedom of movementWorkplaceAnalyzes laws afectingwomens decisions to workMarriageAssesses legal constraintsrelated to marriageSource:Women,Business and the Law team.TraCki

275、Ng PrOgrESS ON WOMENS LEgaL righTS3Women,Business and the Laws findings are an important tool for use in policy discussions about the state of womens empowerment and overall economic resilience.Indeed,research undertaken by the Women,Business and the Law team reveals that more equal laws are associa

276、ted with more women working,higher wages,more women-owned businesses,and more women in managerial positions and parliaments(World Bank 2023).Nevertheless,multiple factors such as gender disparities in entrepreneurship and employment,domestic violence,sexual harassment,the persistent gender pay gap,a

277、s well as reduced female ownership of and control over assets and land continue to have a negative effect on womens empowerment,labor force participation,and capacity to escape poverty(Akter,Rahman,and Radicic 2022;Deininger and Goyal 2023;Doss et al.2018;Duvvury et al.2023;Heymann et al.2023;Reshi

278、and Sudha 2023;Vara-Horna,Asencios-Gonzalez,and McBride 2023).The unequal legal treatment of women constitutes a substantial impediment to womens economic participation,including for female entrepreneurs and those aspiring to launch an enterprise(Bayraktar 2022;Ibourk and Elouaourti 2023;Love,Nikola

279、ev,and Dhakal 2023).Thus,addressing this impediment requires solid comprehensive legal frameworks that aim to achieve gender equality and compliance with womens rights in practice(Behr et al.2023;Santagostino,Marekera,and Gnakra 2023).With mounting evidence of the crucial role played by legal and su

280、pportive frameworks,gender equality needs to become an international priority.In recognition of this pressing need,the World Banks recently proposed 202430 Gender Strategy aims to respond to the global urgency,fundamentality,and complexity of achieving and accelerating gender equality(box 1.2).BOX 1

281、.2 HOW WOMEN,BUSINESS AND THE LAW INFORMS THE WORLD BANKS 202430 GENDER STRATEGY:ACCELERATE GENDER EQUALITY TO END POVERTY ON A LIVABLE PLANETOver the last 12 years,since the launch of World Development Report 2012:Gender Equality and Development,the World Banks commitment to gender equality has bec

282、ome broader and more ambitious(World Bank 2012).Published on the dawn of the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs),the 201623 Gender Strategy recognized gender equality as a fundamental development objective(SDG 5).It set four core objectives for addressing gender disparities:improving

283、 human endowments,removing constraints to more and better jobs,removing barriers to womens ownership of and control over assets,and enhancing womens voice and agency and engaging men and boys(World Bank 2015).Since its adoption,the 201623 Gender Strategy has informed the World Banks lending and inve

284、stment operations,impact evaluations,and analytical products targeting gender inequality.The World Bank is renewing its commitment to gender equality with its 202430 Gender Strategy.The new strategy aims to accelerate gender equality to end poverty on a livable planet in alignment with the World Ban

285、ks Evolution Roadmap.It focuses on innovation,financing,and collective action to achieve three strategic objectives:(1)ending gender-based violence and elevating human capital;(2)expanding and enabling eco-nomic opportunities through access to more and better jobs,assets,and services;and(3)engaging

286、women as leaders.The strategy also recognizes the importance of gender analysis,including Women,Business and the Law data,to inform core analytics and country engagement priorities(World Bank,forthcoming).The product of an inclusive consultation and engagement process,the 202430 Gender Strategy buil

287、ds on a solid(Box continues next page)WOMEN,BUSINESS AND THE LAW 20244analytical foundation,including a series of thematic policy notes summarizing global knowledge on key issues and presenting evidence on promising practices and areas for future engagement.Women,Business and the Law contributed to

288、informing the 202430 Gender Strategy with a thematic policy note,“Accelerating Gender Equality through Reforming Legal Frameworks”(Elefante et al.2023).Drawing on Women,Business and the Law data and analysis,the note emphasizes the role that laws and regulations play in safeguarding womens economic

289、opportunities,explores the legal barriers that hinder womens economic participation,and showcases examples of how World Bank projects have improved gender equality under the law.Women,Business and the Law data will also inform an indicator of the results matrix included in the 202430 Gender Strategy

290、 for tracking the outcomes and outputs of World Bank operations,investments,and overall country engagement.aa.The indicator measures the number of legal changes that advance gender equality.BOX 1.2 HOW WOMEN,BUSINESS AND THE LAW INFORMS THE WORLD BANKS 202430 GENDER STRATEGY:ACCELERATE GENDER EQUALI

291、TY TO END POVERTY ON A LIVABLE PLANET(continued)Data updateWomen,Business and the Law 2024 updates the Women,Business and the Law 1.0 index to account for legal reforms occurring from October 2,2022,to October 1,2023.The global average score has increased from 77.1 to 77.9 out of 100,a 0.8-point inc

292、rease that marks the most significant annual improvement since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.As in the previous edition,only 14 economies grant a woman legal rights equal to those of a man across all of the areas measured:Belgium,Canada,Denmark,France,Germany,Greece,Iceland,Ireland,Latvia,Luxem

293、bourg,the Netherlands,Portugal,Spain,and Sweden(table 1.1).Globally,49 economies across six regions have achieved scores exceeding 90.Notably,more than half of them are high-income economies in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development(OECD),whereas no economy in South Asia has obta

294、ined a score above 90.In the past year,two economies in Europe and Central AsiaArmenia and Moldovaand three economies in Sub-Saharan AfricaRwanda,Sierra Leone,and Togoscored above 90 for the first time.A regional analysis of the Women,Business and the Law data showed,in the previous edition of the r

295、eport,Sub-Saharan Africa surpassing the East Asia and Pacific region for the first time.In this years edition,this trend continues,with Sub-Saharan Africa making substantial progress and increasing its average score by 1.15 points,reaching 74.0,or 1 point higher than the East Asia and Pacific region

296、.OECD high-income economies,Europe and Central Asia,and Latin America and the Caribbean remain the three regions with scores exceeding the global average of 77.9.Over the past year,the Middle East and North Africa region made the most progress,with an increase in 1.47 points,followed by Europe and C

297、entral Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa,with 1.17,and 1.15 points,respectively(figure 1.1).TraCkiNg PrOgrESS ON WOMENS LEgaL righTS5TABLE 1.1WOMEN,BUSINESS AND THE LAW 2024 SCORE(WBL 1.0)EconomyScoreEconomyScoreEconomyScoreEconomyScoreEconomyScoreBelgium100.0Kosovo91.9Colombia84.4Central African Republic

298、*77.5Botswana63.8Canada100.0Rwanda 91.9Benin83.8Kyrgyz Republic76.9Mali63.8Denmark100.0Albania91.3Kenya*83.8Suriname*76.9Dominica62.5France100.0Malta91.3Puerto Rico(US)83.8Burundi76.3Haiti61.3Germany100.0Taiwan,China91.3St.Lucia83.8Kiribati76.3Micronesia,Fed.Sts.61.3Greece100.0United States91.3Ugand

299、a 83.8Seychelles76.3Malaysia 60.6Iceland100.0Armenia 90.6So Tom and Prncipe83.1Belarus75.6Cameroon60.0Ireland100.0Bulgaria90.6Belize 82.5Kazakhstan75.6Papua New Guinea60.0Latvia100.0Moldova 90.6Burkina Faso82.5Morocco75.6Jordan 59.4Luxembourg100.0Mongolia90.6Fiji82.5Bhutan75.0Lebanon58.8Netherlands1

300、00.0Romania90.6Mozambique82.5Ghana75.0Myanmar58.8Portugal100.0Ecuador89.4Singapore82.5Honduras75.0Pakistan58.8Spain100.0Mauritius89.4Trkiye82.5Samoa75.0Tonga58.8Sweden100.0Bolivia88.8United Arab Emirates82.5Trinidad and Tobago75.0Congo,Rep.58.1Estonia97.5El Salvador88.8Uzbekistan 82.5India74.4Equato

301、rial Guinea 58.1Finland97.5Mexico88.8Bahamas,The81.3Jamaica 74.4Algeria57.5Italy97.5Uruguay88.8Cambodia81.3Guatemala73.8Solomon Islands56.9New Zealand97.5Georgia88.1Liberia81.3Guinea73.8Palau56.3Togo 97.5Korea,Rep.*88.1Tanzania81.3Maldives73.8Vanuatu55.6United Kingdom97.5South Africa88.1Zambia81.3Ru

302、ssian Federation73.1Niger*53.8Australia96.9Switzerland88.1Grenada80.6Senegal72.5Brunei Darussalam53.1Austria96.9Viet Nam88.1Israel80.6Djibouti71.3Guinea-Bissau*51.9Cyprus 96.9Slovak Republic 87.5Lesotho 80.6Saudi Arabia71.3Egypt,Arab Rep.50.6Norway96.9Guyana86.9Nepal80.6St.Kitts and Nevis71.3Libya50

303、.0Slovenia96.9Zimbabwe86.9Barbados80.0Indonesia70.6Bangladesh49.4Cte dIvoire95.0Cabo Verde86.3Chile80.0Eritrea69.4Iraq48.1Gabon95.0Dominican Republic86.3Ethiopia*80.0Gambia,The69.4Mauritania48.1Peru95.0Nicaragua86.3Malawi80.0Madagascar69.4Somalia46.9Paraguay94.4Timor-Leste86.3Namibia*80.0Antigua and

304、 Barbuda*68.8Eswatini46.3Croatia93.8Lao PDR*85.6Angola79.4Bahrain68.1Oman*46.3Czechia93.8Azerbaijan 85.0Argentina79.4St.Vincent and the Grenadines 68.1Syrian Arab Republic40.0Hungary*93.8Bosnia and Herzegovina85.0Panama79.4South Sudan67.5Kuwait*38.1Lithuania93.8Brazil85.0Congo,Dem.Rep.78.8Chad66.3Qa

305、tar 35.6Poland93.8Montenegro85.0Japan78.8Nigeria66.3Sudan*32.5Serbia93.8North Macedonia85.0Philippines78.8Marshall Islands65.6Afghanistan31.9Sierra Leone 92.5San Marino*85.0Tajikistan78.8Sri Lanka65.6Iran,Islamic Rep.31.3Costa Rica91.9Ukraine85.0China78.1Comoros65.0Yemen,Rep.26.9Hong Kong SAR,China9

306、1.9Venezuela,RB85.0Thailand78.1Tunisia64.4West Bank and Gaza26.3Source:Women,Business and the Law 2024 database.Note:Economies with a green check()saw an improvement in score due to reforms in one or more areas.Economies with an asterisk(*)saw a change in their score due to revisions made as a resul

307、t of new information and coding consistency.WOMEN,BUSINESS AND THE LAW 20246High-income economies continue to have the highest average score(87.4),followed by upper-middle-income economies(78.3),lower-middle-income economies(71.6),and low-income economies(67.8).The gap between the average scores of

308、high-income economies and low-income economies has shrunk to under 20 points thanks to the substantial progress of economies in the low-income group(figure1.2).Within this group,four economies implemented 17 reforms,resulting in an increase of 1.9 points in the average score compared to last year.Se

309、ven economies in the upper-middle-income group implemented 13 reforms,leading to an increase of 0.9 point.Lower-middle-income and high-income economies also saw improvements of 0.5 and 0.4 point,respectively.Reform efforts continue,but the disparity between the highest-and lowest-scoring economies r

310、emains significant across all income groups and exceeds 70 points in the low-income group.This gap underscores the substantial variation in legal gender equality within regions at similar levels of economic development.Over the last year,reforms were implemented across all eight indicators(annex 1A)

311、.As they were last year,Parenthood(58.1)and Pay(71.6)are still below the average index score,but they are catching up,recording the two highest numbers of economies reformingseven and six,respectively.Specifically,the score for Parenthood increased by 1.6 points,followed by a 1.3-point increase for

312、Pay.FIGURE 1.1|THE LARGEST LEGAL GAPS ARE IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA AND SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA Dispersion of Women,Business and the Law 2024 average scores,by regionSource:Women,Business and the Law 2024 database.Note:Each vertical line represents the score of an economy in its region.Each blu

313、e circle indicates the average score of a region,and the minimum and maximum scores within each region are specified.OECD=Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development;WBL=Women,Business and the Law.2030405060708090100Middle East andNorth AfricaSouth AsiaEast Asia and PacificSub-Saharan Afr

314、icaLatin America andthe CaribbeanEurope and Central AsiaOECD high income26.331.953.132.561.373.178.891.380.691.997.595.096.9100.0WBL score(0100)MinimumAverageMaximum85.873.074.081.263.795.454.7TraCkiNg PrOgrESS ON WOMENS LEgaL righTS7Which economies improved the most?Over the last year,18 economies

315、enacted 47 reforms increasing legal gender equality.All regions except South Asia reformed in the past year.Sub-Saharan Africa led the reform efforts,with six economies enacting 20 legal changes that affected all of the areas measured,except for Mobility.These economies were Equatorial Guinea,Lesoth

316、o,Rwanda,Sierra Leone,Togo,and Uganda.Notably,Rwanda,Sierra Leone,and Togo implemented multiple reforms that resulted in scores above 90.In Europe and Central Asia,five economiesArmenia,Azerbaijan,Cyprus,Moldova,and Uzbekistanenacted nine reforms.In the Middle East and North Africa region,three econ

317、omiesJordan,Oman,and Qatarintroduced 10 reforms,followed by four reforms in the East Asia and Pacific region(Malaysia)and three in Latin America and the Caribbean(Belize and Suriname).The Slovak Republic is the only OECD high-income economy to undertake reform in 2023.For the first time since 2005,n

318、o reforms were observed in the South Asia region.Low-income economies enacted 17 reforms,the highest number,followed by upper-middle-income economies,with 13 reforms.Lower-middle-and high-income economies implemented nine and eight reforms,respectively(figure 1.3).26.931.326.335.697.5100.095.095.020

319、30405060708090100Low incomeLower middle incomeUpper middle incomeHigh incomeWBL score(0100)MinimumAverageMaximum87.467.871.678.3FIGURE 1.2|GAPS IN SCORES OF MORE THAN 60 POINTS ARE FOUND ACROSS ALL INCOME GROUPS Dispersion of Women,Business and the Law 2024 average scores,by income levelSource:Women

320、,Business and the Law 2024 database.Note:Each vertical line represents the score of an economy in its income group.In each blue circle is the average score of an income group,and the minimum and maximum scores within each group are specified.Repblica Bolivariana de Venezuela,while scored,is excluded

321、 from the income group comparisons as it is currently not classified by the World Bank,owing to a lack of reliable data of adequate quality.WBL=Women,Business and the Law.WOMEN,BUSINESS AND THE LAW 20248By recording a change in score of between 10 and 20 points,the economies that improved the most w

322、ere Jordan,Malaysia,Sierra Leone,Togo,and Uzbekistan,representing four regions.These economies enacted comprehensive reforms across all indicators except Mobility(table 1.2).Each of the five top improvers adopted at least four reforms in one or more of the Women,Business and the Law indicators.Refor

323、ms in the Pay indicator were the most common,with four of the five top improvers implementing reforms in this area.However,among these,only Togo adopted a reform in the area of Assets,and,as noted,no economy introduced changes affecting the Mobility indicator.Sierra Leones score increased 20 points,

324、from 72.5 to 92.5,in the Women,Business and the Law index as a result of new laws enacted to address womens rights in multiple areasnotably,Workplace,Pay,Parenthood,and Pension.At theend of2022,FIGURE 1.3|MOST REFORMS WERE UNDERTAKEN IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA AND LOW-INCOME ECONOMIES Number and share of

325、 reforms since October 2022,by region and income group b.By income groupLower middleincome,19%Upper middleincome,28%Low income,36%High income,17%a.By regionEast Asia and Pacifc,9%Latin America andthe Caribbean,6%Middle East and North Africa,21%Europe and Central Asia,19%OECD high income,2%9431201713

326、9810Sub-Saharan Africa,43%Source:Women,Business and the Law 2024 database.Note:The percentages are calculated by dividing the number of reforms in each region or income group by the total number of reforms.The South Asia region did not enact any reforms after October 2,2022,and is not included in pa

327、nel a.The Repblica Bolivariana de Venezuela,while scored,is excluded from income group comparisons in panel b as it is currently not classified by the World Bank,owing to a lack of reliable data of adequate quality.OECD=Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.TABLE 1.2FIVE ECONOMIES A

328、DVANCED THE MOST TOWARD GENDER EQUALITY SINCE OCTOBER 2022EconomyWBL 2024 scoreChange in score%increase in score MobilityWorkplacePayMarriageParenthoodEntrepreneurshipAssetsPensionSierra Leone92.520.027.6Togo97.515.619.0Jordan59.412.526.7Uzbekistan82.511.916.9Malaysia60.610.621.2Source:Women,Busines

329、s and the Law 2024 database.Note:WBL=Women,Business and the Law.TraCkiNg PrOgrESS ON WOMENS LEgaL righTS9the country passed the Gender Equality and Womens Empowerment Act 2022,which introduced important protections for a woman in the workplace,such as the prohibition of gender-based discrimination a

330、nd pregnancy-related dismissal.It also established a womans equal access to credit and financial services,complementing the nondiscrimination mandate established in 2021.In May 2023,Sierra Leone enacted the groundbreaking Employment Act 2023,which aims to improve labor and employment regulations,pro

331、mote equal opportunity,and eliminate discrimination.The act prohibits discrimination in employment based on multiple grounds,including gender,and mandates the principle of equal remuneration for work of equal value in alignment with International Labour Organization(ILO)Convention No.100.Furthermore

332、,it expands the length of paid leave for a mother from 12 weeks to 14 weeks,with benefits equivalent to 100 percent of her average salary,in line with the recommendation set out by ILO Maternity Protection Convention No.183.A father was also granted two weeks of paid leave for the birth of a child.T

333、he 2023 reform repealed the Employers and Employed Act of 1962,which restricted a womans work in the mining,construction,factories,energy,water,and transportation industries.Finally,the Employment Act 2023 now accounts for periods of career interruption due to childcare responsibilities in the calculation of a womans pension benefits.Over the last year,Togo enacted a comprehensive set of reforms a