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Women globally still have only three quarters of the legal rights afforded to men
Washington, U.S. | Xinhua | Around 2.4 billion women of working age globally are not afforded equal economic opportunity, the World Bank said in a report Tuesday.
In 86 countries, women face some form of job restriction and 95 countries do not guarantee equal pay for equal work, according to the Women, Business and the Law 2022 report.
The report showed women globally still have only three quarters of the legal rights afforded to men — an aggregate score of 76.5 out of a possible 100, which denotes complete legal parity.
Despite the disproportionate effect on women’s lives and livelihood from the COVID-19 pandemic, 23 countries reformed their laws in 2021 to take much-needed steps towards advancing women’s economic inclusion, the report noted.
Across the world, 118 economies guarantee 14 weeks of paid leave for mothers, according to the report. More than half, or 114 of the economies measured mandate paid leave for fathers, but the median duration is just one week.
Meanwhile, 178 countries maintain legal barriers that prevent women’s full economic participation.
“While progress has been made, the gap between men’s and women’s expected lifetime earnings globally is 172 trillion U.S. dollars — nearly two times the world’s annual GDP,” said Mari Pangestu, World Bank Managing Director of Development Policy and Partnerships.
“As we move forward to achieve green, resilient and inclusive development, governments need to accelerate the pace of legal reforms so that women can realize their full potential and benefit fully and equally,” Pangestu said.
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Xinhua
