Unequal Laws and Weak Enforcement Still Limit Women’s Work Opportunities

As the world looks for new sources of growth, the World Bank Group's Women, Business and the Law 2026 delivers a clear message: economies cannot afford to leave women behind. Produced by the World Bank's Policy Indicators Group in the Development Economics Vice Presidency, under the leadership of Chief Economist Indermit S. Gill and Director Norman V. Loayza, and supported by partners such as the Gates Foundation, the Icelandic Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation and the United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, the report examines how laws shape women's economic opportunities in 190 economies.

Drawing on input from more than 2,600 legal experts worldwide, it offers one of the most detailed global assessments of whether women can work, start businesses and build financial security on equal terms with men.

The Hard Truth: Equality Is Still Incomplete

The findings are striking. Fewer than 5 percent of women live in economies that come close to full legal equality in economic life. No country has yet secured all the legal rights needed for women's full economic participation. On average, women enjoy less than two-thirds of the legal rights available to men.

Even when laws appear fair on paper, reality often tells a different story. The report measures three things: the strength of laws, the systems that support those laws, and how well they are enforced. While countries score moderately on laws themselves, they perform much worse when it comes to supportive systems such as childcare services, access to justice and regulatory oversight. Enforcement is also uneven. This gap between what is written in law and what happens in practice remains one of the biggest barriers to progress.

Why This Matters for Growth

This is not just a social issue. It is an economic one. Over the next decade, 1.2 billion young people will enter the global workforce, half of them women. Yet the regions with the largest numbers of young women, including Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and the Middle East and North Africa, are also those where legal barriers are often strongest.

Research highlighted in the report shows that reducing gender gaps in labor force participation could increase GDP by 15 to 20 percent in many countries. In some regions, gains could be even higher. Economies with stronger gender-equality laws tend to have higher female employment, more women business owners and smaller gender gaps overall. Importantly, these improvements do not reduce opportunities for men. Instead, they expand economic activity for everyone.

In aging societies, increasing women's participation is essential to maintaining growth. In younger regions, it can turn population growth into economic opportunity. In both cases, equal rights are closely linked to stronger economies.

Where the Gaps Are Biggest

Some improvements have been made in mobility and marriage laws, where many countries have removed explicit restrictions on women's movement and decision-making power. However, major gaps remain in safety, childcare and entrepreneurship.

Violence against women continues to undermine economic opportunity. Many countries still lack comprehensive laws to address gender-based violence, and even where laws exist, enforcement is often weak. Without safety, women cannot participate fully in work or public life.

Childcare is another major obstacle. In many low-income countries, systems to provide affordable, high-quality childcare are almost non-existent. This forces women to carry most unpaid care responsibilities, limiting their ability to work or advance in their careers.

Entrepreneurship also remains unequal. While most countries allow women to start businesses legally, many do not protect them from discrimination in access to credit. Without equal access to finance, women-led businesses struggle to grow and create jobs.

Signs of Progress and a Clear Road Ahead

Despite the challenges, change is happening. Between October 2023 and October 2025, 68 economies introduced 113 legal reforms to strengthen women's economic rights. Some countries removed job restrictions, introduced equal pay provisions and expanded parental leave.

Still, the report makes it clear that legal reform alone is not enough. Laws must be backed by strong institutions, effective enforcement and practical support systems. Courts must function, services must be accessible and policies must be implemented consistently.