World Bank reported that there are only six countries all over the world that gives men and women equal rights under the law and they are all European nations. The institution's report, "Business and the Law 2019: A Decade of Reform", tackles gender discrimination among 187 countries and its evolution since the past decade and its top ranking nations for equality among men and women are Denmark, France, Latvia, Luxembourg, and Sweden.
The report said that the index explores how the economic decisions women make are affected by the law from a 25-year-old getting her first job or a mother balancing work with caring for her children, to a woman on the brink of retirement.
The World Bank analyzed the factors which included going places', 'starting a job', 'having children', 'running a business' and 'getting a pension', among others.
The World Bank's report made great progress after more than a decade. The institution said that In 131 economies there have been 274 reforms to laws and regulations, leading to an increase in gender equality. The report, however, showed that the nations deferred at the pace of their reforms.
The report said that with the understanding that women's access to employment and entrepreneurial activity is related to many factors, this study focuses on how women must navigate discriminatory laws and regulations at every point in their careers, limiting their equality of opportunity.
The study found that women enjoy at least three-fourths of the legal rights of men. Middle Eastern and North African women were given less than half the legal rights of men. The only countries that have scored 100 in the index which means that men and women have equal rights in measured areas were Denmark, France, Latvia, Luxembourg, and Sweden.
The result of the study showed that France had the biggest improvement among the top-performing nations. France development is due to new laws against domestic violence, sexual harassment, and paid parental leave. The result also showed that most Western countries including the top six in the index are still struggling with the consequences of the #Metoo movement which denotes an idea that it is surprising to achieve full equality in gender anywhere.
The World Bank also highlighted that it requires more than just changes to laws to achieve gender equality. The report emphasized the need to meaningfully implement the laws. It added that it requires sustained political will, leadership from women and men across societies, and changes to ingrained cultural norms and attitudes.
