Women, Business and the Law 2026: World Bank Report
Why in the news
The report highlights an implementation gap: laws backing women’s economic equality are common but weakly enforced.
Key facts
| Pillar (WBL 2.0) | Meaning | Score /100 |
|---|---|---|
| Legal frameworks | Rights in law | 67.9 |
| Supportive frameworks | Policies, services, infrastructure | 47.3 |
| Enforcement perceptions | Working in practice | 53.4 |
- Safety is the weakest area; enforcement fails about 80% of the time and only a third of needed laws exist.
- Just 4% of women live where all pillars score 90 or more.
- Closing labour force gaps could add over 20% to global GDP within a decade.
- Under half of countries fund family childcare; low-income economies have 1% of needed mechanisms.
- Only half of economies ensure equal access to credit.
- In two years, 68 economies enacted 113 reforms; Sub-Saharan Africa led with 33.
Good practices
- Dedicated budgets and enforcement agencies; subsidised childcare; paid parental leave for both parents; gender-responsive procurement.
Concerns and way forward
- Weak safety systems, motherhood penalty, credit discrimination, thin data, mobility or marital restrictions.
- Strengthen enforcement, expand childcare, widen credit access, build safety support and monitor with gender-disaggregated data.
Exam angle
- Publisher World Bank; 190 economies; WBL 2.0.