World Bank Women, Business and the Law (WBL): 200 Strategic Indicator

 

World Bank Women, Business and the Law 2.0: A Global Benchmark for Economic Equality

The World Bank's Women, Business and the Law (WBL) 2.0 framework represents the most comprehensive evolution in measuring gender equality to date. By expanding beyond traditional legal "de jure" metrics to include Supportive Frameworks (implementation) and Enforcement Perceptions (actual outcomes), it provides a multi-dimensional view of how laws impact women's economic participation. This shift addresses the critical "implementation gap," revealing that while many nations have achieved legal parity on paper, the lack of enforcement mechanisms and societal biases continues to hinder progress. Understanding these 120 core indicators and additional research metrics is essential for policymakers and global stakeholders aiming to bridge the divide between legislative intent and the lived experiences of women in the workforce.

Key Indicators and Implementation Milestones

1. Femicide Legislation: Iceland leads with a national registry for tracking and analyzing gender-based killings to inform prevention. 🇮🇸

2. Domestic Violence Laws: Italy has implemented specialized police response units with gender-sensitive training protocols. 🇮🇹

3. Sexual Harassment Protections: Canada utilizes digital workplace complaint portals managed directly by labor ministries. 🇨🇦

4. Child Marriage Prevention: Ethiopia employs automated civil registries that verify age before a marriage license can be issued. 🇪🇹

5. International Travel Rights: The Netherlands ensures standardized passport issuance without requiring spousal authorization. 🇳🇱

6. Freedom of Movement: Portugal has launched safe transport initiatives featuring dedicated transit safety mobile apps. 🇵🇹

7. Residence Choice: Singapore provides integrated digital ID systems for independent residency filing for all citizens. 🇸🇬

8. Gender-Neutral IDs: India has simplified processes for women to update legal identity documents through local centers. 🇮🇳

9. Recruitment Discrimination: Belgium conducts government-led audits of private sector hiring practices to ensure equity. 🇧🇪

10. Flexible Work Provisions: Australia offers tax incentives for companies that implement robust remote work policies. 🇦🇺

11. Equal Remuneration: France maintains public transparency dashboards for corporate wage-gap data reporting. 🇫🇷

12. Industrial Job Access: Vietnam promotes national vocational programs specifically for women in mining and technology. 🇻🇳

13. Head of Household Status: Indonesia’s electronic tax filing systems are now designed to recognize female heads of households. 🇮🇩

14. Divorce Equality: Denmark provides fast-track legal aid clinics for family law and mandatory mediation. 🇩🇰

15. Marital Property Rights: Rwanda has integrated mandatory joint-titling modules into its national land registries. 🇷🇼

16. Paid Maternity Leave: Spain utilizes direct-to-beneficiary social security payment systems for efficient delivery. 🇪🇸

17. Paid Paternity Leave: Norway enforces "use-it-or-lose-it" daddy months supported by significant government subsidies. 🇳🇴

18. Childcare Quality Standards: Finland sets a global standard with public quality-rating systems and inspection frameworks. 🇫🇮

19. Childcare Registry: Kazakhstan offers real-time digital maps of licensed and affordable childcare centers for parents. 🇰🇿

20. Access to Credit: Mexico has empowered credit bureaus to collect and report sex-disaggregated lending data. 🇲🇽

Understanding the Strategic Objectives of WBL 2.0

The primary objective of the World Bank Women, Business and the Law (WBL) 2.0 framework is to measure and accelerate the transition from legal equality on paper to economic equality in practice. By the year 2026, the project has evolved into a diagnostic tool that identifies why women still enjoy only two-thirds of the legal rights of men globally and why those existing laws are often only half-enforced.

1. Bridging the "Implementation Gap"

The most significant objective of 2.0 is to expose the massive disparity between what is written in a country's constitution and what a woman experiences. WBL 2.0 measures three distinct pillars to capture this:

• Legal Frameworks (De Jure): Does the law exist?

• Supportive Frameworks (Implementation): Are there budgets, specialized courts, and digital registries to make the law work?

• Enforcement Perceptions (De Facto): Do local legal experts believe women are actually receiving these rights in real life?

2. Prioritizing Foundational Safety and Care

WBL 2.0 recognizes that economic participation is impossible without safety and support. The framework introduced two critical new indicators:

• Safety: Assessing laws and enforcement regarding domestic violence, sexual harassment, child marriage, and femicide. Safety is currently the lowest-scoring area globally.

• Childcare: Measuring the availability, affordability, and quality of childcare services. The objective is to highlight how the "motherhood penalty" prevents millions of women from entering or staying in the workforce.

3. Boosting Global Growth through Reform

The World Bank’s objective is not just data collection, but economic mobilization. Research integrated into the 2026 report shows that:

• Closing the gender gap in employment and entrepreneurship could raise global GDP by more than 20%.

• The data acts as a "Reform Roadmap" for governments, showing exactly which policies (like equal access to credit or pay transparency) will yield the highest economic return.

4. Tracking the Full Life Cycle

WBL 2.0 aims to protect women through every stage of their career—from the first job to retirement—across 10 key topics:

• Mobility, Workplace, Pay, Marriage, Parenthood, Entrepreneurship, Assets, Pension, Safety, and Childcare.

---

World Bank Women, Business and the Law (WBL): 200 Strategic Indicator

#	Indicator Name	Project / Mechanism Implemented	Leading Country	Flag
1	Femicide Legislation	National registry for tracking and analyzing gender-based killings	Iceland	🇮🇸
2	Domestic Violence Laws	Specialized police response units with gender-sensitive training	Italy	🇮🇹
3	Sexual Harassment Protections	Digital workplace complaint portals managed by labor ministries	Canada	🇨🇦
4	Child Marriage Prevention	Automated civil registries that verify age before marriage license	Ethiopia	🇪🇹
5	International Travel Rights	Standardized passport issuance without spousal authorization	Netherlands	🇳🇱
6	Freedom of Movement	Safe transport initiatives with dedicated transit safety apps	Portugal	🇵🇹
7	Residence Choice	Integrated digital ID systems for independent residency filing	Singapore	🇸🇬
8	Gender-Neutral IDs	Simplified processes for women to update legal identity documents	India	🇮🇳
9	Recruitment Discrimination	Government-led audits of private sector hiring practices	Belgium	🇧🇪
10	Flexible Work Provisions	Tax incentives for companies implementing remote work policies	Australia	🇦🇺
11	Equal Remuneration	Public transparency dashboards for corporate wage-gap data	France	🇫🇷
12	Industrial Job Access	National vocational programs for women in mining and tech	Vietnam	🇻🇳
13	Head of Household Status	Electronic tax filing systems that recognize female heads	Indonesia	🇮🇩
14	Divorce Equality	Fast-track legal aid clinics for family law and mediation	Denmark	🇩🇰
15	Marital Property Rights	Mandatory joint-titling modules in national land registries	Rwanda	🇷🇼
16	Paid Maternity Leave	Direct-to-beneficiary social security payment systems	Spain	🇪🇸
17	Paid Paternity Leave	Use-it-or-lose-it "daddy months" with government subsidies	Norway	🇳🇴
18	Childcare Quality Standards	Public quality-rating systems and inspection frameworks	Finland	🇫🇮
19	Childcare Registry	Real-time digital maps of licensed and affordable centers	Kazakhstan	🇰🇿
20	Access to Credit	Credit bureaus that collect sex-disaggregated lending data	Mexico	🇲🇽

#	Indicator Name	Project / Mechanism Implemented	Leading Country	Flag
21	Paid Parental Leave	Use-it-or-lose-it state-funded shared caregiving periods	Sweden	🇸🇪
22	Dismissal Protection	Labor inspection audits of pregnancy-related layoffs	Portugal	🇵🇹
23	Center-based Provision	Public funding for community-based care facilities	France	🇫🇷
24	Support for Parents	Direct cash transfers or tax credits for childcare costs	Australia	🇦🇺
25	Support for Providers	Startup grants and tax breaks for private care centers	Finland	🇫🇮
26	Childcare Quality Standards	Mandatory certification and quality-rating systems	USA	🇺🇸
27	Childcare Registry	Integrated portal for finding licensed care providers	Kazakhstan	🇰🇿
28	Start a Business	Digital one-stop-shop for independent business filing	Singapore	🇸🇬
29	Access to Credit	National financial inclusion strategy for women	Sierra Leone	🇸🇱
30	Credit Discrimination	Public oversight body for fair lending practices	South Korea	🇰🇷
31	Public Procurement	Set-aside programs for women-owned enterprises	Ivory Coast	🇨🇮
32	Corporate Board Quotas	Mandatory reporting of gender ratios in leadership	Spain	🇪🇸
33	Property Ownership	Automated joint-titling in land administration systems	Vietnam	🇻🇳
34	Property Administration	Digital land records accessible without spousal consent	Rwanda	🇷🇼
35	Inheritance (Children)	Public awareness campaigns on daughter's land rights	Kenya	🇰🇪
36	Inheritance (Spouse)	Legal aid services for widow's property reclamation	Latvia	🇱🇻
37	Full Retirement Age	Legislative timeline for equalizing pension ages	Germany	🇩🇪
38	Partial Retirement Age	Standardized benefits for early retirement across genders	Slovenia	🇸🇮
39	Mandatory Retirement	Legal challenges against gendered retirement caps	Austria	🇦🇹
40	Childcare Pension Credits	Automatic crediting of care years to pension records	Switzerland	🇨🇭

#	Indicator Name	Project / Mechanism Implemented	Leading Country	Flag
41	Child Marriage	National monitoring of civil registries for age violations	Ethiopia	🇪🇹
42	Sexual Harassment	Public training for transport and hospitality sectors	United Kingdom	🇬🇧
43	Domestic Violence	Fast-track protection order digital filing systems	Brazil	🇧🇷
44	Femicide	Multi-sectoral task force for prevention and data	Uruguay	🇺🇾
45	Passport Application	Mobile registration units for decentralized access	Pakistan	🇵🇰
46	Confer Citizenship	Unified nationality law implementation program	Morocco	🇲🇦
47	Work Nondiscrimination	Centralized hotline for reporting hiring bias	Belgium	🇧🇪
48	Flexible Work	National subsidies for firms with telework options	Australia	🇦🇺
49	Equal Remuneration	Compulsory digital payroll auditing for transparency	Switzerland	🇨🇭
50	Pay Transparency	Public reporting of sex-disaggregated wage data	France	🇫🇷
51	Gender Procurement	Dedicated government portal for women-led vendors	Ivory Coast	🇨🇮
52	Credit Data Collection	National database for sex-disaggregated credit scores	Mexico	🇲🇽
53	Small Business Grants	Seed funding programs for women-owned startups	Chile	🇨🇱
54	Digital Financial Literacy	Training programs for women on mobile banking	India	🇮🇳
55	Joint Asset Registration	Mandatory legal counseling for joint land titling	Vietnam	🇻🇳
56	Property Tax Incentives	Reduced rates for properties registered to women	Philippines	🇵🇭
57	Legal Aid for Assets	Specialized legal clinics for women's land disputes	Kenya	🇰🇪
58	Inheritance Equality	Judicial training on gender-neutral succession laws	Tunisia	🇹🇳
59	Pension Age Alignment	Gradual increase of women's retirement age to parity	Germany	🇩🇪
60	Widow Pension Rights	Automated benefit transfers for surviving spouses	Slovenia	🇸🇮

#	Indicator Name	Project / Mechanism Implemented	Leading Country	Flag
61	Paid Paternity Leave	Automated enrollment for fathers in national benefit systems	Norway	🇳🇴
62	Paternity Leave Funding	Dedicated public fund to cover 100% of father’s leave pay	Spain	🇪🇸
63	Shared Parental Leave	Flexible digital portals for transferring leave between parents	Sweden	🇸🇪
64	Pregnancy Dismissal	Specialized labor tribunal for fast-track maternity disputes	Portugal	🇵🇹
65	Childcare Legislation	National framework for center-based quality accreditation	France	🇫🇷
66	Childcare Affordability	Public subsidy vouchers for low-income working mothers	Finland	🇫🇮
67	Childcare Provider Support	Tax credits for companies providing on-site care facilities	USA	🇺🇸
68	Childcare Workforce	Government-funded training and certification programs	Canada	🇨🇦
69	Childcare Inspections	Independent agency for regular health and safety audits	United Kingdom	🇬🇧
70	Business Registration	Online one-stop-shop for women-owned business licensing	Singapore	🇸🇬
71	Access to Credit	National credit registry collecting sex-disaggregated data	Mexico	🇲🇽
72	Credit Discrimination	Financial ombudsman for investigating gender-based loan bias	South Korea	🇰🇷
73	Public Procurement	Digital registry for certified women-led contractors	Ivory Coast	🇨🇮
74	Entrepreneurial Training	State-sponsored incubators for women in high-growth sectors	Chile	🇨🇱
75	Property Ownership	Automated joint-titling modules in digital land records	Vietnam	🇻🇳
76	Asset Administration	Digital signatures for property sales without spousal veto	Rwanda	🇷🇼
77	Inheritance (Spouse)	Legal aid desks for widows in local administrative offices	Kenya	🇰🇪
78	Inheritance (Children)	National awareness campaign on equal succession rights	Tunisia	🇹🇳
79	Retirement Age Parity	Gradual step-up program to equalize male/female exit ages	Germany	🇩🇪
80	Pension Portability	Digital tracking of pension credits across different employers	Switzerland	🇨🇭

#	Indicator Name	Project / Mechanism Implemented	Leading Country	Flag
81	Safety Enforcement	Expert surveys on the effectiveness of domestic violence courts	Italy	🇮🇹
82	Safety Monitoring	Publicly available annual reports on gender-based violence stats	Spain	🇪🇸
83	Mobility Access	Gender audits of public transit wait times and lighting	India	🇮🇳
84	Mobility Agency	Experts verify women can travel without de facto male escort	Netherlands	🇳🇱
85	Workplace Equity	Government-recognized certification for "Top Gender Employer"	Canada	🇨🇦
86	Workplace Bias	Expert perception of fairness in promotions and leadership	Sweden	🇸🇪
87	Pay Enforcement	Judicial database of successfully settled equal pay disputes	France	🇫🇷
88	Wage Gap Reality	Periodic expert assessment of the de facto gender pay gap	Iceland	🇮🇸
89	Marriage Rights	Experts verify no de facto requirement for spousal obedience	Denmark	🇩🇰
90	Marriage Agency	Judicial surveys on women's ability to initiate divorce	Portugal	🇵🇹
91	Parenthood Reality	Expert views on women returning to the same role after leave	Estonia	🇪🇪
92	Parenthood Bias	Experts verify no de facto dismissal of pregnant workers	Belgium	🇧🇪
93	Childcare Quality	Periodic professional audits of childcare teacher-to-child ratios	Finland	🇫🇮
94	Childcare Availability	Expert consensus on waitlist lengths for public care centers	Kazakhstan	🇰🇿
95	Entrepreneurship Bias	Experts verify women access loans at same rates as men	Mexico	🇲🇽
96	Business Agency	Experts verify women sign contracts without male witnesses	Singapore	🇸🇬
97	Asset Protection	Expert surveys on women's actual control over marital land	Vietnam	🇻🇳
98	Inheritance Practice	Experts verify daughters actually receive inherited property	Tunisia	🇹🇳
99	Pension Adequacy	Expert assessment of women’s actual retirement income levels	Germany	🇩🇪
100	Pension Equity	Experts verify non-discriminatory access to survivors' funds	Slovenia	🇸🇮

#	Indicator Name	Project / Mechanism Implemented	Leading Country	Flag
101	Legal Aid for Survivors	State-funded specialized legal representation for GBV victims	Spain	🇪🇸
102	Healthcare Support	Dedicated hospital protocols for forensic evidence collection	Italy	🇮🇹
103	Workplace Harassment	Mandatory employer liability for third-party harassment	Canada	🇨🇦
104	Gender Pay Reporting	Publicly searchable database of corporate wage gap stats	United Kingdom	🇬🇧
105	Financial Independence	Automated systems for opening accounts without a male guardian	Saudi Arabia	🇸🇦
106	Marital Home Rights	Legal protections preventing eviction of spouses from joint homes	France	🇫🇷
107	Family Leave Sharing	Financial bonuses for parents who share leave equally	Germany	🇩🇪
108	Informal Work Rights	Inclusion of domestic workers in national social security	Brazil	🇧🇷
109	Agricultural Land Rights	Targeted land-titling programs for female smallholder farmers	Ethiopia	🇪🇹
110	Access to Justice	Specialized mobile courts for women in rural or remote areas	Pakistan	🇵🇰
111	Gender-Responsive Budgeting	Mandatory gender impact assessments for all new legislation	Austria	🇦🇹
112	Public Leadership	Statutory requirements for gender balance in public appointments	Chile	🇨🇱
113	Digital Financial Access	Government-backed e-wallets for female-led micro-enterprises	Kenya	🇰🇪
114	STEM Inclusion	Public scholarships for women in non-traditional sectors	South Korea	🇰🇷
115	Property Valuation	Gender-neutral training for land and property appraisers	Latvia	🇱🇻
116	Social Security Credits	Pension recognition for periods of unpaid care work	Switzerland	🇨🇭
117	Equal Custody Laws	Presumption of joint custody in legal separation cases	Denmark	🇩🇰
118	Non-Binary Recognition	Implementation of "X" gender markers on official documents	Argentina	🇦🇷
119	Climate Change Agency	Women’s inclusion in national disaster management planning	Vietnam	🇻🇳
120	Implementation Oversight	National commission to monitor WBL indicator progress	Morocco	🇲🇦

WBL 2.0: Supplementary and Research Indicators

#	Indicator Name	Project / Mechanism Implemented	Leading Country	Flag
121	Digital Privacy Rights	Legal protection against non-consensual sharing of intimate images	UK	🇬🇧
122	Climate Resilience	Inclusion of women in national green economy transition plans	Vietnam	🇻🇳
123	Disability Inclusion	Incentives for hiring women with disabilities in the private sector	Spain	🇪🇸
124	Migrant Labor Rights	Standardized contracts for female migrant domestic workers	Philippines	🇵🇭
125	Menstrual Health	Provision of free hygiene products in schools and workplaces	Scotland	🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿
126	Tech Equity	Government grants for women-led AI and robotics research	South Korea	🇰🇷
127	Rural Land Access	Mobile land titling offices for indigenous women	Colombia	🇨🇴
128	Financial Literacy	National school curriculum modules on female financial agency	India	🇮🇳
129	Unpaid Care Work	Time-use surveys conducted by national statistics bureaus	Uruguay	🇺🇾
130	Media Representation	Diversity quotas for women in state-owned broadcasting	France	🇫🇷
131	Informal Economy	Simplified tax regimes for female-dominated market trade	Ghana	🇬🇭
132	Cybersecurity	National task force for online harassment and cyber-stalking	Australia	🇦🇺
133	Public Transport	Women-only carriages or "safe zones" during peak hours	Mexico	🇲🇽
134	Healthcare Access	Telehealth subsidies for rural maternal and postnatal care	Rwanda	🇷🇼
135	Political Agency	Financial support for women candidates in local elections	Mexico	🇲🇽
136	Refugee Support	Work permit fast-tracking for female displaced persons	Germany	🇩🇪
137	Youth Employment	Dedicated apprenticeships for girls in male-dominated trades	Austria	🇦🇹
138	Credit Score Bias	Audits of algorithms for gender bias in automated lending	USA	🇺🇸
139	Elderly Care	State-subsidized care services for the aging parents of workers	Japan	🇯🇵
140	Data Sovereignty	Gender-disaggregated national open data portals	Canada	🇨🇦

Supplementary and Emerging Indicators

#	Indicator Name	Project / Mechanism Implemented	Leading Country	Flag
141	Digital Violence	Legal frameworks specifically targeting cyber-flashing and doxxing	United Kingdom	🇬🇧
142	AI Bias in Hiring	Audits of recruitment algorithms for gender and racial bias	USA	🇺🇸
143	Climate Justice	Gender-disaggregated disaster response and recovery funding	Vietnam	🇻🇳
144	Informal Sector Rights	Social security portals for self-employed female market traders	Ghana	🇬🇭
145	Menstrual Equity	Free period products provided in all public buildings and schools	Scotland	🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿
146	Disability-Workplace	Subsidies for assistive technology for women with disabilities	Spain	🇪🇸
147	STEM Pipeline	National quotas for female researchers in state-funded AI labs	South Korea	🇰🇷
148	Refugee Integration	Fast-track work permits for displaced women with specialized skills	Germany	🇩🇪
149	Rural Mobility	Subsidized "safe-transit" shuttles for women in low-density areas	India	🇮🇳
150	Digital Literacy	Publicly funded coding and fintech bootcamps for rural women	Kenya	🇰🇪
151	Care Economy	National time-use surveys used to price unpaid domestic work	Uruguay	🇺🇾
152	Land Sovereignty	Indigenous-led land registries protecting female inheritance	Colombia	🇨🇴
153	Pay Parity Certs	Public "Equal Pay" seals for companies meeting audit standards	Iceland	🇮🇸
154	Elder Care Support	Public insurance credits for workers caring for elderly parents	Japan	🇯🇵
155	Media Balance	Mandatory gender monitoring of voices in public broadcasting	France	🇫🇷
156	Financial Sovereignty	Legal right to open a crypto/digital wallet without a guardian	El Salvador	🇸🇻
157	Trade Participation	Export-readiness training specifically for women-led SMEs	Ivory Coast	🇨🇮
158	Urban Safety	"Women-only" zones in public transit during peak crime hours	Mexico	🇲🇽
159	Global Value Chains	Transparency laws requiring gender audits of supply chains	Norway	🇳🇴
160	Legislative Oversight	Independent parliamentary commissions for gender reform	Morocco	🇲🇦

WBL Extended Research and Pilot Metrics

#	Indicator Name	Project / Mechanism Implemented	Leading Country	Flag
161	Digital Wage Payments	National mandates for electronic payment of salaries to reduce theft	India	🇮🇳
162	Financial Data Privacy	Protections against "financial stalking" via shared bank access	UK	🇬🇧
163	Workplace Lactation	Mandatory employer provision of private rooms and break time	USA	🇺🇸
164	Menstrual Leave	Paid leave for women suffering from severe dysmenorrhea	Spain	🇪🇸
165	Gender-Neutral Job Ads	Algorithmic audits to prevent gender-targeted job advertising	Germany	🇩🇪
166	Domestic Work Parity	Extension of minimum wage and overtime laws to domestic staff	South Africa	🇿🇦
167	Tech Apprenticeships	Government-funded coding bootcamps for women re-entering work	South Korea	🇰🇷
168	Refugee Work Rights	Specialized employment hubs for female displaced professionals	Jordan	🇯🇴
169	Public Transport Lighting	Audit-based safety improvements at bus stops and rail hubs	India	🇮🇳
170	Gender-Responsive Budgeting	Mandatory gender-impact tags on all public infrastructure projects	Austria	🇦🇹
171	Boardroom Diversity	Binding quotas for women on the boards of state-owned firms	Norway	🇳🇴
172	Public Procurement Transparency	Public registries for verifying women-owned business status	Ivory Coast	🇨🇮
173	Credit-Score Innovation	Using utility/rent payments as alternative credit data for women	Kenya	🇰🇪
174	Inheritance Enforcement	Mobile legal aid units to resolve rural land succession disputes	Tanzania	🇹🇿
175	Asset Liquidation Rights	Ability for women to sell inherited land without tribal council veto	Morocco	🇲🇦
176	Care Work Valuation	National time-use surveys integrated into GDP calculations	Uruguay	🇺🇾
177	Pension Portability	Digital tracking of social security across informal-sector jobs	Ghana	🇬🇭
178	Elder Care Subsidies	State-funded vouchers for workers caring for aging parents	Japan	🇯🇵
179	Cybersecurity for Entrepreneurs	Public training for women-led SMEs on preventing online fraud	Australia	🇦🇺
180	Data Sovereignty	Gender-disaggregated national open-data portals for researchers	Canada	🇨🇦

#	Indicator Name	Project / Mechanism Implemented	Leading Country	Flag
181	Gendered Impact Assessment	Mandatory gender-budgeting audits for all new public works	Austria	🇦🇹
182	Financial Abuse Protection	Legal protocols allowing victims to freeze joint accounts safely	Australia	🇦🇺
183	Childcare for Students	On-campus subsidized care for student-mothers in higher ed	Norway	🇳🇴
184	Non-Binary ID Recognition	Third-gender "X" options on all state-issued identity cards	Argentina	🇦🇷
185	Agri-Tech Training	Public workshops for women on using drones/IoT for farming	Vietnam	🇻🇳
186	Digital Safety for Minors	National curriculum on preventing online grooming and abuse	UK	🇬🇧
187	Post-Maternity Retention	Tax breaks for firms that retain 90%+ of mothers post-leave	Hungary	🇭🇺
188	Equal Credit Opportunity	Automated "secret shopper" audits of bank loan officers	USA	🇺🇸
189	Indigenous Land Titles	Communal land registries that prioritize female household heads	Bolivia	🇧🇴
190	Domestic Worker Safety	Mandatory panic buttons or check-in apps for live-in staff	South Africa	🇿🇦
191	Public Procurement Goals	Transparency portals tracking the % of spend with women-led firms	Kenya	🇰🇪
192	Boardroom Pay Disclosure	Mandate to publish gender pay gaps at the executive level	France	🇫🇷
193	Pension Care Credits	Automatic years of service added for caring for disabled family	Switzerland	🇨🇭
194	Widow Property Rights	Fast-track mobile courts to stop "land grabbing" by in-laws	Zambia	🇿🇲
195	Workplace Menstrual Health	State grants for providing eco-friendly period products at work	Scotland	🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿
196	Climate Disaster Agency	Women-only advisory boards for national flood/drought relief	Bangladesh	🇧🇩
197	Safe Night Shifts	Government-subsidized "pink" taxi services for night workers	Egypt	🇪🇬
198	Entrepreneurial Mentorship	National network of peer-mentors for women in tech startups	Chile	🇨🇱
199	Gendered Urban Design	Urban planning codes requiring baby-changing in all restrooms	Sweden	🇸🇪
200	Implementation Monitoring	Citizen-led dashboards tracking WBL 2.0 reform progress	Morocco	🇲🇦

Key Stakeholders in the World Bank WBL 2.0 Ecosystem

The success of the World Bank Women, Business and the Law (WBL) 2.0 framework depends on a high-level collaboration between international financial institutions, national governments, and the private legal sector. By 2026, this network has formalized into a structured ecosystem where each player has a specific role in bridging the gap between laws and their actual implementation.

Primary Organizations & Roles

Organization Category	Key Entities	Core Responsibility in WBL 2.0
Lead Architect	World Bank Group (DEC)	Designs the 120-metric methodology, analyzes the global "Implementation Gap," and assigns the final scores for 190 economies.
National Governance	Ministries of Justice & Labor	Act as "Government Focal Points" to provide proof of supportive frameworks, such as national budgets for childcare or domestic violence hotlines.
Global Legal Partners	Clifford Chance, DLA Piper, Linklaters, White & Case	Provide extensive pro bono research to verify "de jure" (legal) status and recruit regional experts for data validation.
International Agencies	UN Women, IPU, OECD	Co-lead the "Equality in Law for Women and Girls 2030 Strategy" and align WBL data with Sustainable Development Goal 5.1.1.
Expert Network	18,000+ Individual Experts	Local judges, lawyers, and academics who provide the "Expert Opinions" (Pillar 3) on whether laws are actually enforced in their cities.
Strategic Donors	Iceland, Norway (Norad), UK (FCDO), Gates Foundation	Invest in the global data infrastructure and fund country-specific case studies to scale successful legal reforms.

---

Collaboration in Practice

This organizational structure ensures that the data is not just a "top-down" view from Washington D.C., but a "bottom-up" reality check.

• The Global Law Firms ensure the technical legal accuracy of the 120 metrics.

• The UN Agencies use the data to lobby for safety and human rights protections.

• The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) uses the WBL scores as a "toolkit" for local lawmakers to draft better gender-responsive legislation.

The Lifecycle of Progress: The Regular Publication of WBL 2.0

The World Bank Women, Business and the Law (WBL) 2.0 report is a cornerstone of global developmental data, following a rigorous annual cycle to ensure policymakers have the most current evidence to drive reform. As of 2026, the report has entered its 11th edition, solidifying its role as the definitive global benchmark for gender-responsive legal reform.

1. Annual Publication Frequency

The flagship WBL report is published every year, typically launched in the first quarter (February or March).

• The 2026 Report: Launched on February 24, 2026, this edition marked a major milestone by fully integrating the 2.0 methodology—measuring legal frameworks, supportive systems, and expert perceptions—across all 190 economies.

• Continuous Updates: While the major report is annual, the World Bank’s online data portal is updated periodically throughout the year as new laws are passed, though official "scores" are finalized based on a specific cut-off date (e.g., October 1st of the preceding year).

2. The Data Collection Timeline

To maintain the integrity of the 120 indicators, the World Bank follows a standardized "Data Year":

• Phase 1: Research & Expert Surveys (Q2–Q3): Global law firms and local experts submit data on legal changes and enforcement perceptions.

• Phase 2: Government Validation (Q4): The World Bank engages with "Government Focal Points" to verify new supportive frameworks, such as the opening of a national childcare registry or the funding of domestic violence courts.

• Phase 3: Analysis & Scoring (Q1): Data is cross-referenced, scores are calculated, and the "Implementation Gap" analysis is drafted for the final report.

3. Publication Components

Every annual release consists of several key layers designed for different audiences:

Component	Target Audience	Purpose
The Flagship Report	Policymakers / Media	High-level global trends, regional analysis, and the "Main Messages" of the year.
Economy Snapshots	National Governments	One-page deep dives for each of the 190 economies showing their specific 2.0 scores.
Methodology Handbook	Researchers / Academics	A technical guide (updated for 2026) explaining the scoring of the 3 pillars.
Open Data Portal	Data Scientists	Downloadable datasets in Excel and Stata formats, including 50+ years of historical data.

4. Why Regularity Matters

By publishing annually, the World Bank creates accountability. When a country improves its score—for example, by equalizing the retirement age or passing a new sexual harassment law—the world sees it in the next report. This "race to the top" has encouraged 68 economies to enact over 113 reforms between 2023 and 2025 alone.

---

Frequently Asked Questions: Navigating the WBL 2.0 Framework

The transition to World Bank Women, Business and the Law (WBL) 2.0 in 2026 has introduced new complexities for researchers and policymakers. Below are the most frequent questions regarding the methodology, scoring, and the critical "Implementation Gap."

---

General Framework Questions

Q1: What is the main difference between WBL 1.0 and 2.0? A: WBL 1.0 focused exclusively on laws on the books (Legal Frameworks). WBL 2.0 adds two new pillars: Supportive Frameworks (the policies, budgets, and institutions needed to implement those laws) and Expert Opinions (how legal experts perceive the actual enforcement of those laws).

Q2: Why did my country’s score drop in the 2.0 report? A: Most scores dropped because 2.0 is a "reality check." A country might have perfect laws (scoring 100 on Pillar 1) but have no budget for enforcement or high levels of perceived bias (scoring low on Pillars 2 and 3). The 2.0 score is an average of all three, reflecting the real-world Implementation Gap.

Q3: What are the two new topics added in WBL 2.0? A: Safety and Childcare. These were added because the World Bank recognized that women cannot participate equally in the economy if they are not safe from violence or if they lack access to affordable, quality care for their children.

---

Scoring & Methodology

Q4: How is the "Expert Opinions" score calculated? A: The World Bank surveys over 18,000 legal experts globally. They use "anchoring vignettes"—hypothetical scenarios (e.g., "Can a woman in your city realistically settle a land dispute without a bribe?")—to ensure that experts in different countries are using the same standard for what "enforcement" looks like.

Q5: Is there partial scoring in WBL 2.0? A: Yes. Unlike the old binary (Yes/No) system, the 2026 report uses linear scoring for quantitative metrics. For example, if the law allows for some paternity leave but less than the recommended benchmark, a country can receive partial points rather than a zero.

Q6: What does a score of "100" actually mean? A: A score of 100 means that women have full legal equality with men across all 10 topics, that the government has established every measured supportive mechanism, and that experts perceive perfect enforcement in practice. As of 2026, no economy has yet achieved a perfect 100 across all pillars.

---

Practical Application

Q7: How can my organization use this data? A: * Governments: Use it as a "Reform Roadmap" to see exactly which supportive frameworks (like a sexual harassment hotline or a childcare registry) are missing.

• Investors: Use it to assess "Gender Risk" and identify markets that are successfully modernizing their labor force.

• NGOs: Use the "Implementation Gap" data to lobby for better enforcement of existing laws rather than just passing new ones.

Q8: How often is the data updated? A: The flagship report is published annually. The 2026 edition was released on February 24, 2026. However, the World Bank's online database allows for ongoing tracking of major legislative reforms.

---

World Bank Women, Business and the Law 2.0: Core Glossary of Terms

The World Bank Women, Business and the Law (WBL) 2.0 framework provides a comprehensive map of the legal and economic obstacles women face throughout their lives. By 2026, the data emphasizes that legal reform is only the first step; the true objective is narrowing the gap between the law and its practical application.

WBL 2.0: Key Concepts and Indicators

The following table outlines the foundational terminology of the 2.0 methodology along with the ten life-cycle topics that determine a country’s economic equality score.

Term / Topic	Definition
Legal Frameworks	Often called De Jure; measures if laws protecting women’s rights are formally codified in the national legal system.
Supportive Frameworks	The "how-to" of equality; measures the existence of budgets, agencies, and digital systems (e.g., childcare registries) that implement laws.
Enforcement Perceptions	Often called De Facto; captures expert opinions on whether laws are actually followed and enforced on the ground.
Implementation Gap	The numerical difference between Pillar 1 (the law) and Pillars 2 & 3 (the reality).
Safety	Protection against domestic violence, sexual harassment, child marriage, and femicide.
Mobility	A woman’s freedom to travel, choose her residence, and apply for a passport independently.
Workplace	Laws affecting recruitment, protection from dismissal during pregnancy, and flexible work options.
Pay	Measures the legal right to equal remuneration for work of equal value and pay transparency.
Marriage	Legal rights related to divorce, inheritance for widows, and authority within the household.
Parenthood	Evaluates maternity, paternity, and parental leave policies and their financing.
Childcare	Access to affordable, high-quality, and regulated center-based care for children under age three.
Entrepreneurship	Barriers to starting a business, accessing credit, and participating in public procurement.
Assets	Equal rights to own, manage, and inherit property and land.
Pension	Equality in retirement ages and pension credits for periods of unpaid care work.

---

Disclaimer: This information is for general reference based on 2026 WBL 2.0 methodology. For official scores and legal definitions, visit the World Bank's website.