World Bank: Women’s Economic Rights Half-Enforced Globally

Laws meant to guarantee women equal economic opportunity are only half-enforced worldwide, leaving vast untapped growth potential and limiting job creation, according to a major new report from the World Bank Group.

The latest Women, Business and the Law report finds that even where gender-equal laws exist on paper, weak enforcement and inadequate implementation systems sharply reduce their impact. As a result, women globally enjoy barely two-thirds of the legal rights afforded to men — and in practice, often far less.

Enforcement Gap Undermining Growth

For the first time, the report measures not just the existence of equal-opportunity laws, but how effectively they are implemented.

On average:

• Countries score 67 out of 100 for laws supporting economic equality.

• Enforcement drops that score to 53.

• Systems required to implement those rights score just 47.

Only 4% of women worldwide live in economies that provide nearly full legal equality.

"On paper, most countries are doing reasonably well," said Indermit Gill, the World Bank Group's Chief Economist and Senior Vice President for Development Economics. "But when it comes to enforcing the laws, the average score drops significantly. These numbers reflect huge opportunity gaps."

The findings suggest that weak enforcement mechanisms — from labour inspections to access to justice — are preventing women from fully participating in the global economy, particularly in developing countries where growth dividends would be greatest.

Safety From Violence: A Foundational Barrier

The report identifies safety from violence as one of the most serious obstacles to women's economic participation.

Globally, only about one-third of the necessary legal protections are in place, and enforcement fails roughly 80% of the time, according to the analysis.

"True equality begins with safety," said Norman Loayza, Director of the World Bank's Policy Indicators Group. "Whether at home, at work, or in public, women deserve protection to thrive. Globally, we're falling short."

Lack of safety limits women's ability to work consistently, pursue education, or start businesses — undermining broader economic productivity.

Entrepreneurship and Access to Credit

While most economies legally allow women to start businesses under the same terms as men, only about half promote equal access to credit.

This financing gap leaves many women entrepreneurs unable to scale operations or formalise enterprises, particularly in emerging markets where small and medium-sized businesses drive employment growth.

Demographic Pressure and Economic Stakes

Over the next decade, 1.2 billion young people are expected to enter the global workforce — half of them girls. Many will come of age in regions with the largest gender gaps and the greatest need for economic expansion.

"Ensuring equal opportunity for women benefits societies as a whole, not just women," said Tea Trumbic, the report's lead author. "It's an economic must-have, not just a nice-to-have."

The World Bank notes that greater female labour force participation could significantly boost GDP in many low- and middle-income economies.

Childcare: A Missed Policy Lever

Affordable and reliable childcare remains one of the strongest predictors of whether mothers can enter or remain in the workforce.

Yet:

• Fewer than half of 190 surveyed economies provide financial or tax support for families.

• Only 30% of policies needed to support affordable, quality childcare are in place globally.

• In low-income economies, just 1% of childcare support mechanisms exist.

Without accessible childcare, women are more likely to work in informal, lower-paid, or part-time roles — limiting both household income and national productivity.

Signs of Reform Momentum

Despite the enforcement gaps, progress is being made.

Over the past two years:

• 68 economies enacted 113 legal reforms across key areas of women's economic participation.

• The strongest reform activity occurred in entrepreneurship and safety from violence.

• Seven countries expanded paternity leave, helping redistribute caregiving responsibilities.

Sub-Saharan Africa led reform efforts with 33 changes. Madagascar and Somalia removed restrictions preventing women from working in sectors such as construction, manufacturing and agriculture.

Egypt emerged as the top reformer globally, increasing its legal equality score by nearly 10 points. Recent changes include:

• Extending paid maternity leave from 90 to 120 days.

• Introducing one day of paid paternity leave.

• Mandating equal pay.

• Allowing flexible work arrangement requests.

Jordan and Oman also recorded notable improvements.

Growth Potential at Risk

The World Bank warns that unless countries close the enforcement and implementation gap, legal reforms alone will not translate into meaningful economic gains.

With women representing half the global population — and half the incoming workforce — the failure to enforce equal economic rights represents not just a social justice issue but a macroeconomic constraint.

The report concludes that strengthening enforcement institutions, expanding childcare access, improving financial inclusion, and ensuring safety protections are essential steps toward unlocking women's full economic potential — and accelerating global growth.