JOHANNESBURG: A World Bank report warned of a “shockingly large” gap between legislation promoting gender equality and its enforcement, with no country currently ensuring all the legal rights required for women’s full economic participation.

The annual report, released on Tuesday, emphasised that while many nations have made progress on laws that advance women’s economic rights, weak enforcement systems and institutional shortcomings have hindered their real-world impact.

“There is a shockingly large gap between the two,” the report stated, referring to the divide between gender-equal legislation and the mechanisms needed to enforce those laws effectively.

The global index tracking women’s economic equality returned an average score of 67 out of 100 for legal rights but dropped to 53 for law enforcement and 47 for the adequacy of supportive legal systems, policies and institutions.

“Less than 5pc of women worldwide live in economies that provide anything close to full legal equality,” the report noted. “And not a single economy has secured all legal rights needed for women’s full economic participation.”

The report underscored that even in economies with modernised legal frameworks, women often face restrictions on the types of work they can perform or the businesses they can establish. It called the situation “dumb” at a time when many countries are grappling with sluggish economic growth and aging populations.

Regions such as Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and the Middle East and North Africa, identified as most in need of greater women’s workforce participation, impose some of the largest legal and enforcement barriers, despite increasing numbers of young women entering the labor market.

The report measured women’s economic opportunities across 10 categories: safety, mobility, work, pay, marriage, parenthood, childcare, entrepreneurship, assets and pensions. Childcare and safety were identified as the most deficient areas globally.

The findings, encompassing data from 190 economies as of Oct 1, 2025, were compiled from input provided by more than 2,600 legal experts, academics, civil society representatives, and public officials, the World Bank said.

Despite these challenges, some progress was noted. Between October 2023 and October 2025, 68 economies enacted 113 legal reforms aimed at expanding women’s economic opportunities. Countries leading these advancements included Egypt, Madagascar, Somalia, Oman, Jordan, and Kyrgyzstan.

Published in Dawn, February 25th, 2026