World Bank Report Highlights Global Gaps in Enforcement of Women’s Economic Rights

Category : Business and economics Published on: February 28 2026

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Laws guaranteeing equal economic opportunities for women are only half-enforced worldwide, according to the latest Women, Business and the Law report by the World Bank Group. While countries score an average of 67 out of 100 for gender-equal laws on paper, enforcement drops to 53, and implementation systems fall further to 47. Just 4% of women globally live in economies with near-full legal equality.
For the first time, the report evaluates enforcement alongside legislation, revealing that supportive laws are implemented only halfway. Even with full enforcement, women would still have only about two-thirds of the legal rights available to men.
Major gaps persist in safety from violence and childcare support. Only one-third of required safety laws exist, with enforcement failing in 80% of cases. Although 68 economies introduced 113 reforms recently—led by sub-Saharan Africa—significant barriers remain to women’s full economic participation and global growth.