Women, Business and the Law

Map of 2021 WBL Index Red indicates less gender equality, blue indicates more gender equality.

The Women, Business and the Law report from the World Bank is an annual report that measures the legal barriers to women's economic empowerment for 190 countries around the world. The index covers a range of topics including physical mobility, workplace equality, pay equality, marriage, parenthood rights, ability to start and own a business, asset ownership, and pension rights.

Ranking

Women Business and the Law Global Ranking 2021
Country	WBL Index	Mobility	Workplace	Pay	Marriage	Parenthood	Entrepre- neurship	Assets	Pension
Afghanistan	38.1	50	75	0	20	20	75	40	25
Angola	73.1	100	50	50	100	60	100	100	25
Albania	91.3	100	100	100	100	80	100	100	50
United Arab Emirates	82.5	100	100	100	60	60	100	40	100
Argentina	76.3	100	75	50	100	60	75	100	50
Armenia	82.5	100	50	75	100	60	75	100	100
Antigua and Barbuda	66.3	75	50	75	100	0	75	80	75
Australia	96.9	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	75
Austria	96.9	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	75
Azerbaijan	78.8	100	100	0	100	80	100	100	50
Burundi	73.1	100	100	75	60	40	75	60	75
Belgium	100.0	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100
Benin	77.5	75	100	50	80	60	75	80	100
Burkina Faso	79.4	75	100	25	80	80	75	100	100
Bangladesh	49.4	100	50	25	60	20	75	40	25
Bulgaria	90.6	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	25
Bahrain	55.6	50	75	25	40	40	100	40	75
Bahamas, The	81.3	100	100	75	80	20	75	100	100
Bosnia and Herzegovina	85.0	100	100	50	100	80	100	100	50
Belarus	75.6	100	50	50	100	80	75	100	50
Belize	79.4	75	75	50	100	60	75	100	100
Bolivia	88.8	100	75	100	100	60	100	100	75
Brazil	85.0	100	100	75	100	80	75	100	50
Barbados	76.9	75	75	50	100	40	75	100	100
Brunei Darussalam	53.1	50	25	75	40	0	75	60	100
Bhutan	71.9	100	100	100	80	40	50	80	25
Botswana	63.8	75	25	75	100	0	75	60	100
Central African Republic	76.9	75	100	25	80	60	75	100	100
Canada	100.0	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100
Switzerland	85.6	100	100	100	100	60	75	100	50
Chile	80.0	100	75	75	80	100	75	60	75
China	75.6	100	100	25	100	80	75	100	25
Côte d'Ivoire	83.1	100	100	50	60	80	75	100	100
Cameroon	60.0	50	75	25	40	80	50	60	100
Congo, Rep.	49.4	50	25	25	40	20	75	60	100
Colombia	81.9	100	100	50	100	80	75	100	50
Comoros	65.0	75	75	100	40	40	75	40	75
Cabo Verde	86.3	100	100	75	100	40	100	100	75
Costa Rica	83.1	100	100	50	100	40	75	100	100
Cyprus	91.3	75	100	75	100	80	100	100	100
Czech Republic	93.8	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	50
Germany	97.5	100	100	100	100	80	100	100	100
Djibouti	68.1	100	100	50	20	60	100	40	75
Dominica	62.5	75	25	50	100	0	75	100	75
Denmark	100.0	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100
Dominican Republic	86.3	100	100	75	80	60	100	100	75
Algeria	57.5	75	75	50	60	60	75	40	25
Ecuador	89.4	100	100	100	100	40	75	100	100
Egypt, Arab Rep.	45.0	50	75	0	0	20	75	40	100
Eritrea	69.4	100	100	75	60	20	75	100	25
Spain	97.5	100	100	100	100	80	100	100	100
Estonia	97.5	100	100	100	80	100	100	100	100
Ethiopia	76.9	100	100	25	80	60	75	100	75
Finland	97.5	100	100	100	100	80	100	100	100
Fiji	82.5	100	100	50	100	60	75	100	75
France	100.0	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100
Micronesia, Fed. Sts.	63.8	100	25	75	100	0	75	60	75
Gabon	57.5	50	75	25	20	80	50	60	100
United Kingdom	97.5	100	100	100	100	80	100	100	100
Georgia	85.6	100	100	75	100	60	100	100	50
Ghana	75.0	100	100	50	100	20	75	80	75
Guinea	76.3	100	100	50	60	40	100	60	100
Gambia, The	74.4	100	50	75	100	60	75	60	75
Guinea-Bissau	42.5	75	25	0	60	20	25	60	75
Equatorial Guinea	51.9	75	25	100	20	60	0	60	75
Greece	97.5	100	100	100	100	80	100	100	100
Grenada	80.6	100	50	100	100	20	75	100	100
Guatemala	70.6	100	25	50	80	60	75	100	75
Guyana	86.9	75	100	100	80	40	100	100	100
Hong Kong SAR, China	89.4	100	100	75	100	40	100	100	100
Honduras	75.0	100	100	50	80	20	100	100	50
Croatia	93.8	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	50
Haiti	63.8	50	50	100	40	40	75	80	75
Hungary	96.9	100	100	75	100	100	100	100	100
Indonesia	64.4	100	50	75	40	40	75	60	75
India	74.4	100	100	25	100	40	75	80	75
Ireland	100.0	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100
Iran, Islamic Rep.	31.3	0	0	50	0	60	75	40	25
Iraq	45.0	25	100	50	0	20	75	40	50
Iceland	100.0	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100
Israel	80.6	100	100	50	60	60	100	100	75
Italy	97.5	100	100	100	80	100	100	100	100
Jamaica	68.1	100	25	50	100	20	75	100	75
Jordan	46.9	25	0	75	20	40	100	40	75
Japan	81.9	100	50	50	80	100	75	100	100
Kazakhstan	69.4	100	50	25	100	80	75	100	25
Kenya	80.6	100	100	100	100	40	50	80	75
Kyrgyz Republic	76.9	100	100	25	100	40	100	100	50
Cambodia	75.0	100	100	75	80	20	100	100	25
Kiribati	78.8	100	100	100	100	20	75	60	75
St. Kitts and Nevis	71.3	100	25	50	100	40	75	80	100
Korea, Rep.	85.0	100	100	25	100	80	75	100	100
Kosovo	91.9	100	100	100	100	60	100	100	75
Kuwait	28.8	50	0	0	40	0	75	40	25
Lao PDR	88.1	100	100	75	100	80	100	100	50
Lebanon	52.5	100	50	50	60	20	75	40	25
Liberia	83.8	100	100	100	100	40	75	80	75
Libya	50.0	75	50	75	20	40	75	40	25
St. Lucia	83.8	75	100	100	80	40	75	100	100
Sri Lanka	65.6	100	75	25	100	20	75	80	50
Lesotho	78.1	100	75	75	80	20	75	100	100
Lithuania	93.8	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	50
Luxembourg	100.0	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100
Latvia	100.0	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100
Morocco	75.6	100	100	50	60	80	100	40	75
Moldova	84.4	100	75	75	100	100	100	100	25
Madagascar	74.4	75	100	25	80	40	75	100	100
Maldives	73.8	100	100	75	60	40	100	40	75
Mexico	88.8	100	100	75	100	60	100	100	75
Marshall Islands	68.1	100	50	100	100	0	100	20	75
North Macedonia	85.0	100	100	50	100	80	100	100	50
Mali	60.6	50	50	50	20	60	75	80	100
Malta	88.8	100	100	75	100	60	100	100	75
Myanmar	58.8	75	25	50	80	60	75	80	25
Montenegro	88.1	100	100	75	100	80	100	100	50
Mongolia	82.5	100	100	75	100	60	100	100	25
Mozambique	82.5	100	100	50	100	60	100	100	50
Mauritania	48.1	100	25	25	0	60	75	0	100
Mauritius	91.9	100	100	100	100	60	100	100	75
Malawi	77.5	50	100	100	100	20	75	100	75
Malaysia	50.0	50	50	50	40	0	75	60	75
Namibia	86.3	75	100	100	100	40	75	100	100
Niger	59.4	75	75	75	20	60	50	20	100
Nigeria	63.1	50	75	50	100	0	75	80	75
Nicaragua	86.3	100	100	75	100	40	100	100	75
Netherlands	97.5	100	100	100	100	80	100	100	100
Norway	96.9	100	100	100	100	100	75	100	100
Nepal	80.6	75	100	100	100	40	75	80	75
New Zealand	97.5	100	100	100	100	80	100	100	100
Oman	35.6	0	75	25	20	0	75	40	50
Pakistan	55.6	75	100	25	60	20	75	40	50
Panama	79.4	100	100	50	80	80	75	100	50
Peru	95.0	100	100	100	80	80	100	100	100
Philippines	78.8	75	100	100	60	60	100	60	75
Palau	58.8	100	25	75	100	0	75	20	75
Papua New Guinea	60.0	75	50	25	100	0	75	80	75
Poland	93.8	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	50
Puerto Rico (U.S.)	83.8	100	100	75	100	20	100	100	75
Portugal	100.0	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100
Paraguay	94.4	100	100	100	100	80	100	100	75
Qatar	29.4	25	0	50	20	0	75	40	25
Romania	90.6	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	25
Russian Federation	73.1	100	50	50	80	80	75	100	50
Rwanda	80.6	100	100	75	100	20	75	100	75
Saudi Arabia	80.0	100	100	100	60	40	100	40	100
Sudan	29.4	0	0	0	0	20	75	40	100
Senegal	66.9	75	100	25	60	60	75	40	100
Singapore	82.5	100	75	75	100	60	75	100	75
Solomon Islands	56.9	75	25	25	100	0	75	80	75
Sierra Leone	69.4	100	75	50	100	0	75	80	75
El Salvador	88.8	100	100	75	80	80	100	100	75
San Marino	80.0	100	50	75	80	60	75	100	100
Somalia	46.9	75	50	50	20	40	75	40	25
Serbia	93.8	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	50
South Sudan	70.0	100	100	100	80	40	75	40	25
São Tomé and Príncipe	86.3	100	100	75	80	60	75	100	100
Suriname	73.8	100	50	75	80	60	50	100	75
Slovak Republic	85.0	100	100	75	100	80	100	100	25
Slovenia	96.9	100	100	75	100	100	100	100	100
Sweden	100.0	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100
Eswatini	46.3	100	25	50	40	20	0	60	75
Seychelles	76.3	75	50	75	100	80	75	80	75
Syrian Arab Republic	36.9	25	25	0	40	40	75	40	50
Chad	66.3	75	75	50	60	60	50	60	100
Togo	84.4	100	100	100	60	60	75	80	100
Thailand	78.1	100	100	75	80	20	75	100	75
Tajikistan	78.8	100	50	50	100	80	100	100	50
Timor-Leste	83.1	100	75	75	80	60	75	100	100
Tonga	58.8	100	25	75	100	0	75	20	75
Trinidad and Tobago	75.0	75	50	75	80	20	100	100	100
Tunisia	67.5	100	100	25	60	40	75	40	100
Turkey	82.5	100	100	75	80	80	75	100	50
Taiwan, China	91.3	100	100	100	100	80	75	100	75
Tanzania	81.3	100	100	100	80	60	75	60	75
Uganda	73.1	75	100	100	80	40	75	40	75
Ukraine	79.4	100	100	0	100	60	100	100	75
Uruguay	88.8	100	100	75	80	80	75	100	100
United States	91.3	100	100	75	100	80	100	100	75
Uzbekistan	70.6	100	50	25	80	60	100	100	50
St. Vincent and the Grenadines	68.1	75	25	50	100	20	75	100	100
Venezuela, RB	85.0	100	100	75	100	80	75	100	50
Vietnam	81.9	100	100	75	100	80	100	100	0
Vanuatu	58.1	75	25	50	80	0	100	60	75
West Bank and Gaza	26.3	25	25	0	20	0	75	40	25
Samoa	80.0	75	100	75	100	40	75	100	75
Yemen, Rep.	26.9	25	25	25	0	0	75	40	25
South Africa	88.1	100	100	100	100	80	100	100	25
Congo, Dem. Rep.	78.8	100	100	50	40	80	100	60	100
Zambia	81.3	75	100	100	80	40	100	80	75
Zimbabwe	86.9	100	100	75	80	40	100	100	100

Methodology

The current version of the index measures thirty-five specific questions covering women's economic empowerment across eight indicators spanning different phases of a woman's working life. Each of the eight categories has four or five binary, yes or no questions. The score in each category is determined by the share of "yes" answers (e.g. if a country receives 3 yes answers out of 5, its score would be 60 out of 100). The full index is an average of the scores in all eight categories.

Assumptions:

The index relies on several assumptions about the woman in question. "It is assumed that the woman in question

"resides in the economy's main business city.
has reached the legal age of majority and is capable of making decisions as an adult, is in good health and has no criminal record.
is a lawful citizen of the economy being examined.
is a cashier in the food retail sector in a supermarket or grocery store that has 60 employees.
is a cisgender, heterosexual woman in a monogamous first marriage registered with the appropriate authorities (de facto marriages and customary unions are not measured).
is of the same religion as her husband.
is in a marriage under the rules of the default marital property regime, or the most common regime for that jurisdiction, which will not change during the course of the marriage.
is not a member of a union, unless membership is mandatory. Membership is considered mandatory when collective bargaining agreements cover more than 50 percent of the workforce in the food retail sector and when they apply to individuals who were not party to the original collective bargaining agreement.

For the questions on retirement and pensions, it is assumed that

the woman gave birth without complications to two healthy children.
the woman ceased all paid activity during periods of child care. If the period covered by a pension credit is conditioned on the age of the child, the period until the child reaches age one is counted.
if transitional provisions gradually change the retirement age, the answer will reflect the retirement age as of October 1, 2020, even if the law provides for changes over time.
if a mandatory contributory pension system applicable to the private sector and a noncontributory universal pension system coexist, the answers will correspond with the rules applicable to the mandatory contributory pension system.
if pension systems are not mandatory or were not in force as of October 1, 2020, they are not measured.
the ages are reported as years plus a fraction of the months in a year."

Categories and Questions

Mobility
- Can a woman choose to live in the same way as a man?
- Can a woman travel outside her home in the same way as a man?
- Can a woman apply for a passport in the same way as a man?
- Can a woman travel outside the country in the same way as a man?
Workplace
- Can a woman get a job in the same way as a man?
- Does the law prohibit discrimination in employment based on gender?
- Is there legislation on sexual harassment in employment?
- Are there criminal penalties or civil remedies for sexual harassment in employment?
Pay
- Does the law mandate equal remuneration for work of equal value?
- Can a woman work at night in the same way as a man?
- Can a woman work in a job deemed dangerous in the same way as a man?
- Can a woman work in an industrial job in the same way as a man?
Marriage
- Is there no legal provision that requires a married women to obey her husband?
- Can a woman be head of household in the same way as a man?
- Is there legislation specifically addressing domestic violence?
- Can a woman obtain a judgement of divorce in the same way as a man?
- Does a woman have the same rights to remarry as a man?
Parenthood
- Is paid leave of at least 14 weeks available to mothers?
- Does the government administer 100% of maternity leave benefits?
- Is there paid leave available to fathers?
- Is there paid parental leave?
- Is dismissal of pregnant workers prohibited?
Entrepreneurship
- Does the law prohibit discrimination in access to credit based on gender?
- Can a woman sign a contract in the same way as a man?
- Can a woman register a business in the same way as a man?
- Can a woman open a bank account in the same way as a man?
Assets
- Do men and women have equal ownership rights to immovable property?
- Do sons and daughters have equal rights to inherit assets from their parents?
- Do female and male surviving spouses have equal rights to inherit assets?
- Does the law grant spouses equal administrative authority over assets during marriage?
- Does the law provide for the valuation of nonmonetary contributions?
Pension
- Are the ages at which men and women can retire with full pension benefits the same?
- Are the ages at which men and women can retire with partial pension benefits the same?
- Is the mandatory retirement age for men and women the same?
- Are periods of absence due to childcare taken into account in pension benefits?

History

Impact

Limitations