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Women, Business and the Law 2024
[Les Femmes, l’Entreprise et le Droit 2024]

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  • World Bank

Abstract

Women, Business and the Law 2024 is the 10th in a series of annual studies measuring the enabling conditions that affect women’s economic opportunity in 190 economies. To present a more complete picture of the global environment that enables women’s socioeconomic participation, this year Women, Business and the Law introduces two new indicators—Safety and Childcare—and presents findings on the implementation gap between laws (de jure) and how they function in practice (de facto). This study presents three indexes: (1) legal frameworks, (2) supportive frameworks (policies, institutions, services, data, budget, and access to justice), and (3) expert opinions on women’s rights in practice in the areas measured. The study’s 10 indicators—Safety, Mobility, Workplace, Pay, Marriage, Parenthood, Childcare, Entrepreneurship, Assets, and Pension—are structured around the different stages of a woman’s working life. Findings from this new research can inform policy discussions to ensure women’s full and equal participation in the economy. The indicators build evidence of the critical relationship between legal gender equality and women’s employment and entrepreneurship. Data in Women, Business and the Law 2024 are current as of October 1, 2023.

Suggested Citation

  • World Bank, 2024. "Women, Business and the Law 2024 [Les Femmes, l’Entreprise et le Droit 2024]," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 41040.
  • Handle: RePEc:wbk:wbpubs:41040
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Bursztyn, Leonardo & Cappelen, Alexander & Tungodden, Bertil & Voena, Alessandra & Yanagizawa-Drott, David, 2023. "How Are Gender Norms Perceived?," Discussion Paper Series in Economics 5/2023, Norwegian School of Economics, Department of Economics.
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    Cited by:

    1. World Bank & The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, 2024. "Albania - Country Gender Assessment," World Bank Publications - Reports 41900, The World Bank Group.
    2. Arora, Rashmi & Garikipati, Supriya & Kaur, Sukhpreet, 2026. "Community norms, peer influence, and women’s digital financial inclusion: evidence from India," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 201(C).
    3. Carolyn Chisadza & Matthew W. Clance & Romuald Meango & Charl van Schoor, 2025. "Women's Agency in Conflict Settings: Evidence from Peace Agreements," Working Papers 202510, University of Pretoria, Department of Economics.
    4. World Bank, 2024. "Equality of Opportunity for Sexual and Gender Minorities 2024," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 42099.
    5. World Bank, 2024. "Cambodia Country Gender Action Plan FY25-FY29," World Bank Publications - Reports 42284, The World Bank Group.
    6. Pecorari, Natalia & Cuesta Leiva, Jose Antonio, 2026. "Female Labor Force Participation and Gender Norms : A Machine Learning Analysis of the Arab Republic of Egypt," Policy Research Working Paper Series 11372, The World Bank.
    7. Claudia Williamson Kramer, 2025. "Economic freedom and legal gender disparity," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 43(4), pages 573-588, October.
    8. Wasti, Hiba Syeda Asad, 2026. "Digital Market Access and Women’s Economic Agency in Pakistan: A Social Science Review of Gendered Constraints and Entrepreneurship Pathways," SocArXiv 5azn2_v2, Center for Open Science.
    9. Rutar, Tibor, 2025. "Do large, sustained economic freedom reforms hurt or improve women's economic rights?," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
    10. Sarah L. Young & Misty J. Grayer & Kimberly K. Wiley, 2024. "The new scarlet letter: Global challenges of motherhood in public administration programs and how we could solve them," Public Administration & Development, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 44(4), pages 342-357, October.
    11. Calasanti, Anna, 2025. "Asset, voice, leverage? Women’s property ownership and household decision-making in Colombia, Guatemala, and Honduras," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 159(C).
    12. World Bank & The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, 2024. "Bosnia and Herzegovina - Country Gender Assessment," World Bank Publications - Reports 41899, The World Bank Group.
    13. Burgos Carolina Arias, 2026. "The Gender Power Gap and the Law in the European Union," Intereconomics: Review of European Economic Policy, Paradigm, vol. 61(2), pages 123-130.
    14. Kashino, Takanori, 2025. "Sexual harassment by multiple stakeholders in entrepreneurship: The case of Japan," Journal of Business Venturing Insights, Elsevier, vol. 23(C).
    15. World Bank, 2024. "Supply of and Demand for Accessible and Affordable Childcare Services in Cambodia," World Bank Publications - Reports 42294, The World Bank Group.
    16. Sil, Ankita & Chowdhury, Subeh, 2025. "Do they hear us? A practical framework for designing gender inclusive transport policies in south and southeast Asian countries," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 127(C).
    17. World Bank & The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, 2024. "North Macedonia - Country Gender Assessment," World Bank Publications - Reports 41897, The World Bank Group.
    18. Wu, Hanbo & Pesando, Luca Maria, 2026. "No evidence that anti-domestic violence laws reduce violent child discipline in sub-Saharan Africa," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 401(C).
    19. repec:bcp:journl:v:9:y:2025:issue-8:p:7617-7625 is not listed on IDEAS
    20. Gurbuz Cuneo, Alev & Tribin Uribe, Ana Maria & Trumbic, Tea & Perrin, Caroline, 2026. "“I Want to Break Free”: How Laws and Social Norms Open Doors for Women," Policy Research Working Paper Series 11288, The World Bank.

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