The pace of reforms aimed at reducing gender inequality has slowed sharply in 2022 to its lowest level in 20 years, according to a World Bank report released Thursday.
The index that measures the progress of the reforms in favor of greater legal equality has only increased 0.5 points and stands at 77.1 points, “this means that on average women only enjoy barely 77% of the rights rights recognized for men”, writes the institution, in its report “Woman, business and law” for 2022.
Only 34 reforms carried out in 2022
In concrete terms, during the last year 34 reforms were carried out, in 18 countries, which makes it the lowest total since the beginning of the century.
At the current pace of reform, a young woman entering the workforce today will not achieve legal equality when she retires in most countries, says the report, pointing to the risk of hampering “economic growth at a critical time for the global economy”.
Gender equality could increase GDP by 20%
The institution estimates that legal equality would make it possible to increase the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita in the long term by almost 20% on average, with estimated global economic gains of between 5,000 and 6,000 million dollars if women could undertake and grow. new business as easily as men.
Although the level of equality is higher in advanced economies, sub-Saharan Africa is the region that has carried out the most reforms in this area by 2022, with half of the total in seven countries in the area.
As part of its report, the World Bank studied all laws and regulations passed or implemented in 190 countries in 2022, taking into account eight areas that “influence women’s participation in economic life”: mobility, work, income, marriage, parenthood , entrepreneurship, wealth and retirement.
Source: BFM TV
