Report finds ‘massive’ gender gap in global workforce

No country in the world affords women the same opportunities as men at work, according to a report that exposes a ‘massive’ gender gap across the global workforce.

The World Bank claims that closing the gender gap in employment and entrepreneurship could increase global GDP by more than 20%, but women currently enjoy less than two-thirds of the legal rights available to men across the world, with deficiencies in childcare and safety protections in particular deterring them from work.

Indermit Gill, chief economist of the World Bank Group and senior vice president for development economics, said: “Women have the power to turbocharge the sputtering global economy. Yet, all over the world, discriminatory laws and practices prevent women from working or starting businesses on an equal footing with men.

“Closing this gap could raise global gross domestic product by more than 20% – essentially doubling the global growth rate over the next decade – but reforms have slowed to a crawl.”

Its Women, Business and the Law report claims that 37 countries grant women less than half the legal rights of men, to the detriment of around half a billion women.

It estimates that only half of women have the right to equal pay, with 92 economies lacking legislation mandating equal pay. Overall, women earn just 77 cents for every dollar paid to a man, the international development organisation says.

Although many countries have enacted legislation to enhance women’s rights and…