Laws intended to guarantee equal economic opportunities for women are only about half enforced worldwide, significantly limiting women’s ability to contribute to economic growth, according to a new report by the World Bank Group.
The latest Women, Business and the Law report, released for the first time with enforcement analysis, finds that even where gender-equality laws exist, weak implementation and inadequate support systems continue to undermine progress. On average, countries score 67 out of 100 for laws promoting gender equality, but enforcement drops to 53, while systems needed to implement those rights score just 47.
As a result, women globally still enjoy only about two-thirds of the legal rights available to men, and only 4 percent of women live in economies that provide near full legal equality.
The report evaluates women’s economic participation across 10 areas, including workplace protections, entrepreneurship, childcare, asset ownership, safety, and retirement security. Safety from violence emerged as one of the most critical gaps, with experts estimating that only one-third of necessary legal protections exist and enforcement failing in roughly 80 percent of cases.
According to the World Bank, inadequate access to childcare and finance also remains a major barrier. Although women can legally start businesses on the same terms as men in most economies, only about half provide equal access to credit. Meanwhile, fewer than half of the 190 economies studied offer financial or tax support for childcare, and support mechanisms are almost nonexistent in low-income countries.
Despite these challenges, the report notes measurable progress. Over the past two years, 68 economies introduced 113 reforms aimed at improving women’s economic opportunities, with notable gains in entrepreneurship and protection from violence. Sub-Saharan Africa recorded the highest number of reforms, while countries including Egypt, Jordan, and Oman also implemented significant legal improvements. Egypt was identified as the top reformer, expanding parental leave, mandating equal pay, and introducing flexible work arrangements.
The report highlights the urgency of reform, noting that 1.2 billion young people—half of them female—are expected to enter the workforce over the next decade, many in regions where barriers to women’s participation remain highest.
In a related economic outlook, analysts noted that several African countries saw sovereign credit rating upgrades in 2025 due to improved growth prospects and reform momentum, benefiting financial and corporate sectors in countries such as Egypt, Morocco, and South Africa. However, Botswana and Senegal faced downgrades linked to economic pressures, including commodity price declines and rising debt.
The World Bank emphasised that strengthening enforcement of existing laws, expanding childcare support, and improving women’s access to finance are critical steps to unlocking economic potential and accelerating inclusive growth globally.
