WB ACCELERATING GENDER EQUALITY THROUGH REFORMING LEGAL FRAMEWORKS

WB Group Gender thematic policy note series – Accelerating Gender equality through reforming legal frameworks. The main points of the policy note.

1. Reforms of discriminatory laws key for economic development.
2. Women have 3/4 of legal rights. Gaps persist in “human accumulation, access to jobs, ownership of assets, women’s voice and agency.”
3. Key areas, availability, affordability quality of health care / health and safety/ inequalities in conflict/ disabilities. Leadership/ gendered tax policy/ climate
4. Link between equality and women’s educational attainment
5. Fixing discriminatory laws has an impact on women’s health outcomes.
6. Domestic violence legislation is associated with reduced mortality for women.
7. Positive correlation between legal equality and women’s participation in workforce.
8. Stronger property rights – non-discriminatory divorce legislation boosts ownership of assets.
9. Women’s political representation and legal equality correlated.
10. Rights to services like reproductive health boosts women’s human capital.
11. More legal rights more entrepreneurs
12. Pay indicator shows that equal remuneration lacking and restrictions on type of jobs.
13. Business registration gaps, gender discrimination in access to credit, limits on women’s ability to control assets.
14. Marriage indicator where obeying husband necessary and husband legally designated as head of household. Including GBV and domestic violence and harassment at workplace legislation.
15. How IFIs can through the Development Policy Financing encourage better gender legislation for financing projects and for encouraging sex disaggregated data reporting.
16. Shock responsive Social safety nets
17. Flexible payment options for natural disaster protection.
18. Development policies that tackle gaps in legislation – leadership in private sector.
19. “Implementation of laws: Laws need to be properly implemented and enforced to have the greatest beneficial impact for women and overall economic development. This may call for supporting mechanisms and policies that sequence legislation, provide regulating procedures, ensure access to fair and effective justice institutions, or guarantee social service”
20. laws related to the availability, affordability, and quality of childcare.
21. Women’s health and safety – early marriage, marital rape, sexual harassment, family planning access.
22. Women with disabilities – laws protecting them.
23. Women leadership in political positions, judicial sector, climate change agenda, private sector, can improve gender indicators.
24. Gender equality and tax policy interplay.
25. Gender sensitive climate action policies.