The Bar Human Rights Committee of England and Wales is part of the Global Expert Contributor network of the World Bank Group’s flagship ‘Women, Business and the Law (WBL)’ project, designed to improve women’s labor force participation and entrepreneurship, driving job creation, productivity, and economic growth.
The Women, Business and the Law 2026 report shows that barriers keeping women from contributing fully to growth and prosperity are far higher than previously thought. Globally, women have just two thirds of the legal rights afforded to men, and 3.9 billion women worldwide face legal barriers to their economic participation. The report revealed a marked imbalance among gender equality laws, the policies designed to implement them, and their enforcement:
- Legal equality remains out of reach for every woman in the world. Only 4% of women live in countries close to full legal equality. None of the 190 economies assessed grants women equal economic opportunities.
- Even where gender‑equal laws exist, weak systems and limited enforcement create a persistent gap between law and practice. Globally, fewer than half of the policies and institutions needed for women to exercise their rights are in place.
- Perceptions of uneven enforcement further widen the gap between legal rights and implementation. Legal experts surveyed worldwide estimate that laws supporting women’s economic participation have only been partially enforced.
- Progress toward legal gender equality is advancing across regions. Between 2023 and 2025, 68 economies enacted 113 legal reforms strengthening women’s economic opportunities.
By publishing data on laws and policy mechanisms in 190 economies, WBL identifies barriers and enablers to women’s economic opportunities, guiding reforms and paving the way for more dynamic and resilient economies around the world. The project examines social norms, climate, entrepreneurship, trade, women’s health and economic inclusion, with an annual report published every March with detailed analysis of the priority areas for legal reform.
BHRC’s valued members, partners and stakeholders are invited to join more than 20,000 local experts all over the world in contributing to the World Bank Group’s research on one or more of the following topics, which will inform the WBL 2027 report:
- Family Law and Access to Finance
- Labor Law and Childcare Services
- Violence against Women
Simply register your interest in completing the survey at the link below on or before Monday 29 June 2026, and you will hear from the WBL team with a personalized link to access the questionnaire platform within a few days:
