No country has achieved full economic equality for women, reveals World Bank report

A recent report by the World Bank shows that women across the globe continue to face significant barriers to full economic participation.

The yearly Women, Business and the Law report reveals that there is a significant gap between written laws and implementation.

Despite most countries scoring reasonably well on paper in terms of legal rights to achieve economic equality between men and women, these are only half-enforced.

Ultimately, the report emphasises that less than 5% of women worldwide live in economies granting them anything closes to full legal equality to men.  

Norman Loayza, Director of the World Bank’s Policy Indicators Group, explains that the absence of safety from violence lies at the heart of the disparity between men and women in accessing economic opportunities.

“True equality begins with safety. Whether at home, at work, or in public, women deserve protection to thrive,” claims Loayza.

In many countries, women are unprotected from harassment, and even where these laws against harassment exist, the institutions in charge of enforcing such laws are lacking or inadequate.

Furthermore, in some countries, women’s mobility and freedom of travel or work are restricted under the law.

The report also highlights how unaffordable and unreliable childcare forces many women out of work. Additionally, in some cases, women are prevented from accessing credit and capital, affecting their ability to expand their businesses.

It also emphasises that restricting women’s economic opportunities is damaging to economic growth. By closing the gender gap in the labour force, global GDP could increase by over 20% in the next ten years.

Nevertheless, progress has been made. Between October 2023 and October 2025, 113 reforms were implemented worldwide to breakdown the social and legal barriers preventing women from working.

Despite this, the report calls on governments to ensure the full implementation of legal rights to work by investing in supportive policies and effective enforcements to achieve better results.