About 2.4 billion working-age women do not have equal economic opportunities, and 178 countries maintain legal barriers that prevent their full inclusion, according to a World Bank report “Women, Business and Law 2022”.
The report also states that in 86 countries, women face some form of work-related restrictions, while 95 countries do not guarantee equal pay for the same work.
Globally, women still have only three-quarters of the legal rights given to men – a total score of 76.5 out of a possible 100, marking full legal parity.
However, despite the global pandemic disproportionately affecting women’s lives and livelihoods, 23 countries have reformed their laws in 2021 to take much-needed steps to improve women’s economic inclusion, the report said.