World Bank Report: The Global State of Domestic Violence Legislation
The World Bank’s Women, Business and the Law (WBL) 2026 report reveals a critical "implementation gap" in global gender equality. While many countries have successfully passed laws to protect women, the infrastructure to support these laws and the actual enforcement in practice often lag behind.
Under the Safety pillar, the World Bank evaluates whether an economy has specific legislation addressing domestic violence, including criminal sanctions, protection orders, and the criminalization of marital rape.
Leading Nations in Domestic Violence Legislation
Based on the latest WBL data and recent legal reforms, these seven countries represent significant benchmarks or recent progress in establishing robust legal frameworks against domestic violence:
| Country | Key Achievement / Recent Reform |
| 1. Spain | Often cited as a global gold standard, Spain’s Comprehensive Law against Gender-based Violence integrates specialized courts, police units, and extensive social services. |
| 2. Iceland | Consistently at the top of WBL scores, Iceland maintains comprehensive legal protections that cover physical, sexual, and psychological abuse with high enforcement ratings. |
| 3. Algeria | A recent top reformer (2025), Algeria enacted new legislation specifically introducing protection orders to ensure the immediate safety of survivors. |
| 4. Brazil | Known for the Maria da Penha Law, Brazil has one of the world's most advanced legal frameworks, specifically creating "Delegacias da Mulher" (Women's Police Stations). |
| 5. Morocco | Through Law 103-13, Morocco significantly strengthened its definitions of violence and increased penalties for domestic abuse and harassment in public spaces. |
| 6. Mozambique | Recently modernized its penal code to remove archaic provisions (such as those allowing rapists to escape charges by marrying victims) and strengthened domestic violence sanctions. |
| 7. Canada | Canada provides a comprehensive framework that includes federal and provincial "coercive control" recognitions, which address non-physical patterns of abuse. |
The Three Pillars of Safety
To understand a country's true standing, the World Bank now looks beyond just the text of the law. A "leading" country must excel across three distinct areas:
Legal Frameworks (De Jure): Are the laws written on the books? (e.g., Does a law exist that criminalizes domestic violence?)
Supportive Frameworks: Is there an infrastructure to help? (e.g., Are there national action plans, specialized legal aid, and shelters?)
Enforcement Perceptions (De Facto): Does it work in real life? (The WBL 2026 report uses expert surveys to gauge if women actually feel protected by the legal system.)
Expert Insight: Globally, women enjoy only about two-thirds of the legal rights of men. While 150+ economies have domestic violence laws, the World Bank notes that safety and childcare remain the two weakest areas for women’s economic participation worldwide.
Spain: The Global Gold Standard for Gender-Based Violence Legislation
Spain is widely recognized by the World Bank and international human rights organizations as a global leader in the fight against domestic and gender-based violence. Its "holistic" approach—combining aggressive legal prosecution with specialized social services—has become a blueprint for other nations.
1. The 2004 Integral Act: A Paradigm Shift
The cornerstone of Spain's leadership is Organic Law 1/2004 (The Integral Act). This law was revolutionary because it shifted the perspective from "domestic violence" (a private matter) to "gender-based violence" (a public human rights issue rooted in inequality).
Specialized Courts: Spain created a network of Courts of Violence Against Women (Juzgados de Violencia sobre la Mujer). These judges handle both the criminal charges (assault) and the civil consequences (divorce, child custody) simultaneously to prevent the victim from being re-traumatized by multiple legal battles.
Specialized Police Units: The National Police and Civil Guard have dedicated units (UFAM and EMUME) specifically trained to assist survivors and assess risk levels immediately.
The 016 Helpline: A pioneer in Europe, this 24/7 multilingual service provides legal and psychological advice that does not appear on the user's phone bill, ensuring maximum safety for the caller.
2. The "Only Yes Means Yes" Law (2022)
In recent years, Spain further modernized its framework with the Organic Law on the Comprehensive Guarantee of Sexual Freedom.
Consent-Based Model: This law removed the requirement for victims to prove "violence or intimidation" to qualify a crime as rape. Instead, it defines sexual assault by the absence of explicit consent.
Unified Offense: It eliminated the distinction between "sexual abuse" and "sexual assault," ensuring that any non-consensual act is treated with the gravity of an assault.
Street Harassment: The law also criminalized "catcalling" and other forms of street harassment that create an intimidating environment for women in public spaces.
3. World Bank Recognition (WBL 2026)
In the World Bank’s latest Women, Business and the Law assessments, Spain consistently achieves top scores.
| Indicator | Spain's Performance | Why? |
| Safety | Exceptional | Criminalization of marital rape and robust protection order systems. |
| Workplace | 100/100 | Strict laws against sexual harassment in employment and public transport. |
| Implementation | High | Unlike many countries with "paper laws," Spain has a national budget specifically allocated to the State Pact Against Gender Violence. |
4. Remaining Challenges
Despite its leadership, Spain faces ongoing hurdles:
The Implementation Gap: Even with specialized courts, the time to resolution can be long, and reporting rates still do not reflect the full scale of the problem.
Backlash and Controversy: Recent reforms, specifically the "Only Yes Means Yes" law, faced technical criticism when a loophole inadvertently allowed some previously convicted offenders to seek reduced sentences, leading to a quick legislative "fix" in 2023.
Key Takeaway: Spain’s success lies in its institutionalization of protection. It isn't just about the law; it is about the specialized judges, the dedicated police, and the social safety nets that make the law a living reality.
Iceland: Leading the Way Through Economic and Social Equality
Iceland consistently ranks at the top of global gender equality indices, including the World Bank’s Women, Business and the Law 2026 report. While Spain is famous for its specialized courts, Iceland’s strength lies in its holistic social integration—where safety is treated as a natural extension of economic and bodily autonomy.
1. Radical Transparency: The Equal Pay Certification
In Iceland, gender-based violence is seen as inseparable from economic power imbalances. In 2018, Iceland became the first country in the world to make Equal Pay Certification mandatory.
The Logic: By ensuring women have the same financial resources as men, the "economic trap" of domestic violence is significantly weakened.
The Law: Companies with 25 or more employees must prove they pay men and women equally for work of equal value or face daily fines.
2. The 2018 Sexual Offense Act: Affirmative Consent
Iceland shifted its legal definition of rape from a "force-based" model to a "consent-based" model.
Focus on "Yes": Under Icelandic law, sexual relations are only legal if consent is freely expressed. It is no longer up to the victim to prove they fought back; it is up to the system to prove that consent was present.
Broad Protection: This law specifically covers situations where a victim is unable to resist due to sleep, intoxication, or "grave fear," closing loopholes that previously protected offenders.
3. Integrated Support: The "Bjarkarhlíð" Model
Iceland utilizes a "one-stop-shop" approach for survivors of violence, known as Bjarkarhlíð (The Center for Victims of Violence).
Unified Services: Instead of a victim having to visit the police, a lawyer, and a therapist at different locations, all these professionals are housed in one building.
Supportive Frameworks: This directly aligns with the World Bank’s "Supportive Frameworks" pillar, ensuring that the law on paper is matched by accessible, real-world help.
4. Iceland in the WBL 2026 Index
Iceland achieved a near-perfect score across most indicators, particularly in Parenthood and Pay.
| Pillar | Score (Out of 100) | Highlight |
| Legal Frameworks | 94.4 | Near-perfect legal protections across all 10 indicators. |
| Supportive Frameworks | 100.0 | Perfect score for implementing the systems (shelters, aid) needed to support the law. |
| Enforcement Perceptions | High | Strong public and expert trust that the laws are actually followed by the authorities. |
5. Shared Responsibility: Parental Leave
Iceland’s 2021 update to Parental Leave (granting 12 months total, with 5 months non-transferable for each parent) is a key tool against domestic instability. By mandating that fathers take significant time off, Iceland deconstructs the traditional "head of household" dynamic that often underlies domestic power struggles.
Key Takeaway: Iceland proves that domestic safety isn't just a criminal issue—it's a workplace issue, a family issue, and an economic issue. By leveling the playing field in the boardroom and the nursery, they have created a society where violence has fewer places to hide.
Algeria: A "Top Reformer" in the MENA Region
Algeria’s inclusion in the World Bank’s list of leading nations is driven by its status as a Top Reformer. According to the Women, Business and the Law (WBL) 2025-2026 data, Algeria has taken significant steps to close the gap in its legal protection framework, particularly regarding the immediate safety of survivors.
1. The 2024-2025 Breakthrough: Protection Orders
For years, a major weakness in Algerian law was the lack of civil protection measures. While abuse was a crime, there was no legal mechanism to keep an abuser away from the victim before a final court verdict.
Loi No. 24-06 (April 2024): This landmark amendment to the Penal Code officially introduced protection orders for domestic violence cases.
Immediate Safety: This allows judges to order an aggressor to leave the family home or stay away from the victim immediately, providing a critical "shield" that was previously missing.
2. Criminalizing Domestic Violence (Law 15-19)
Algeria's modern journey toward safety leadership began with Law 15-19, which fundamentally changed how the state views violence within the home:
Assault Penalties: It made physical assault against a spouse or ex-spouse punishable by up to 20 years in prison, or even life if the attack results in death.
Psychological and Economic Abuse: The law was one of the first in the region to explicitly recognize that "violence" isn't just physical—it includes psychological pressure and the "deprivation of resources" (economic abuse).
3. World Bank Scoring and Progress
In the WBL 2026 report, Algeria's "Safety" pillar score saw a marked increase due to these legislative additions.
| Category | Status | Impact |
| Domestic Violence Law | Yes | Criminalized since 2015. |
| Protection Orders | Added (2024) | Significant boost to the "Legal Framework" score. |
| Sexual Harassment | Yes | Criminalized in both public spaces and the workplace. |
4. The Challenges of "Pardon Clauses"
Despite being a leader in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region for these reforms, Algeria faces a unique hurdle often criticized by human rights groups and noted in World Bank discussions:
The Pardon Clause: Under current law, if a victim "pardons" her attacker, the legal proceedings can be stopped or the sentence significantly reduced.
The Problem: Experts argue this puts immense social and familial pressure on women to forgive their abusers to "save the family," effectively neutralizing the law’s protection.
World Bank Perspective: Algeria is a prime example of a country rapidly improving its Legal Framework (what is written), but still working to build its Supportive Framework (shelters and specialized aid) and improve Enforcement Perceptions (how much women trust the police to actually help).
Brazil: The Pioneer of Specialized Protection
Brazil is often cited in World Bank reports for its innovative and aggressive approach to "Supportive Frameworks." While many countries focus on the text of the law, Brazil’s leadership lies in how it physically delivers justice to women through specialized institutions.
1. The Maria da Penha Law (2006)
Named after a biophysicist who fought for 20 years to see her attempted murderer (her husband) convicted, this law is considered one of the top three strongest domestic violence laws in the world by the UN.
Human Rights Status: It officially reclassified domestic violence from a "low-complexity" petty crime to a human rights violation.
Triple Penalties: It significantly increased prison sentences and, crucially, banned "alternative sentences" like paying fines or donating food baskets, which were previously used by abusers to buy their way out of trouble.
Urgent Protective Measures: Judges must grant protection orders (like removing the abuser from the home) within 48 hours of a report.
2. The "Delegacias da Mulher" (Women's Police Stations)
Brazil’s most famous contribution to global safety is the creation of DEAMs—specialized police stations staffed primarily by women, for women.
Why they work: The World Bank’s 2026 data highlights that the presence of these stations in metropolitan areas is associated with a 17% reduction in female homicide rates.
Holistic Care: These aren't just for filing reports; they often house social workers, psychologists, and legal aid under one roof to prevent "institutional wandering" where a victim gives up because the system is too complex.
3. Recent 2025-2026 Reforms: Stricter Enforcement
As of the latest WBL 2026 updates, Brazil has pushed even further to close the "implementation gap":
Electronic Monitoring: In late 2025, President Lula signed a law making electronic ankle tags mandatory for individuals convicted of crimes against "sexual dignity" or domestic violence upon leaving prison.
Panic Buttons: The government has expanded the use of "Security Devices" (panic buttons) that notify a victim and the police immediately if a tracked aggressor enters a restricted radius around the victim.
National Pact Against Femicide (2026): A new nationwide initiative launched in March 2026 aims to execute 1,000 outstanding arrest warrants for domestic abusers, signaling a shift toward proactive enforcement rather than just reactive protection.
4. Brazil’s WBL 2026 Performance
Brazil scores higher than the regional average for Latin America, though it still struggles with the "Enforcement" pillar in rural areas.
| Pillar | Score (Out of 100) | Current Status |
| Legal Frameworks | 82.0 | High: Robust laws like Maria da Penha and Femicide Law. |
| Supportive Frameworks | 75.0 | Strong: Excellent specialized police and hotline (Ligue 180) networks. |
| Enforcement Perceptions | 62.5 | Improving: High in cities, but limited in small municipalities. |
Key Takeaway: Brazil’s strength is its specialization. By creating a separate "space" for women within the justice system, it reduces the stigma of reporting and ensures that the first person a victim speaks to is a trained professional rather than a dismissive officer.
Morocco: Regional Leader with a Focus on Modern Reform
Morocco is recognized by the World Bank as a "top performer" in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Its legal evolution is characterized by a steady move toward international standards, balancing modern legal protections with complex social dynamics.
1. Law 103-13: The Foundation of Reform
Enacted in 2018 after a decade of advocacy, Law 103-13 remains the primary legal weapon against gender-based violence in Morocco. It was a milestone because it moved violence out of the "private" sphere and into the criminal code.
Broad Definition of Violence: The law defines violence against women as "any act based on gender discrimination that entails physical, psychological, sexual, or economic harm."
New Criminal Offenses: It specifically criminalized acts that were previously difficult to prosecute, including:
Forced Marriage: Penalties for forcing a woman into marriage against her will.
Cyber-Violence: Criminalizing the distribution of images or private messages of a sexual nature without consent.
Expulsion from the Home: Making it a crime to prevent a spouse from returning to the family home.
2. The 2025-2026 "Mudawana" Reform
As of early 2026, Morocco is undergoing a historic revision of its Family Code (the Mudawana). This reform, initiated by King Mohammed VI, aims to close "loopholes" that indirecty contribute to domestic instability and violence.
Guardianship and Divorce: The 2025-2026 updates focus on making divorce easier for women to initiate and ensuring they maintain legal guardianship of their children, reducing the "legal blackmail" often used by abusers.
Unpaid Domestic Work: A progressive new proposal seeks to recognize unpaid domestic labor as a formal contribution to household assets, ensuring women are not left destitute after leaving an abusive relationship.
3. World Bank WBL 2026 Performance
Morocco scores significantly higher than its regional neighbors, particularly in Mobility and Marriage, though the World Bank highlights a need for better "Supportive Frameworks."
| Indicator Pillar | Morocco Score | Analysis |
| Legal Frameworks | 68.8 | Above average for MENA; strong on harassment and marriage laws. |
| Supportive Frameworks | 56.3 | Progressing; has a National Strategy to 2030, but lacks specialized courts. |
| Enforcement Perceptions | 34.4 | The "Implementation Gap"; trust in police response remains a challenge. |
4. Specialized Care Units
A key strength in Morocco's implementation is the creation of Cells for the Care of Women and Children within courts, police stations, and hospitals.
Multi-Agency Response: These cells are designed to provide a "safe harbor" where victims can receive medical care and legal advice simultaneously.
National Strategy 2030: Morocco has committed to a long-term plan to institutionalize these services, ensuring that every province has a dedicated unit by the end of the decade.
5. Areas for Future Progress
The World Bank and human rights organizations note that for Morocco to reach "Gold Standard" status like Spain or Iceland, it must address two major legal gaps:
Marital Rape: While physical assault is criminalized, marital rape is not yet explicitly defined as a separate crime in the Penal Code.
The Evidence Burden: Prosecution often relies heavily on physical medical certificates, which can be difficult to obtain in cases of psychological or sexual abuse without visible injury.
Key Takeaway: Morocco is the region's "lighthouse" for reform. By tackling both the Penal Code (punishing the abuser) and the Family Code (empowering the survivor), it is creating a dual-layered defense against domestic violence.
Mozambique: The Reformer Overhauling Colonial Legacies
Mozambique is highlighted by the World Bank for its significant legislative progress in Sub-Saharan Africa. Its journey is a standout case of a nation systematically dismantling archaic, colonial-era laws to build a modern legal shield for women and children.
1. Dismantling the "Marry-Your-Victim" Loophole
For decades, Mozambique’s legal system was based on the Portuguese Penal Code of 1886. One of its most damaging provisions allowed a rapist to escape prosecution if he married his victim.
The 2015 Penal Code Reform: Mozambique took the bold step of repealing these colonial-era "forgiveness" clauses. Marriage is no longer a legal defense for sexual violence, a move that significantly boosted its Safety score in the World Bank’s indices.
Criminalizing Marital Rape: Unlike many of its regional neighbors, Mozambique’s modern Penal Code explicitly recognizes that consent is required within marriage, effectively criminalizing marital rape.
2. The Integrated Care Centers (CAI)
Mozambique excels in the World Bank’s "Supportive Frameworks" through its One-Stop Centers for survivors of violence.
Holistic Support: Known as Centros de Atendimento Integrado (CAI), these facilities provide police, medical, psychological, and legal services in a single location.
Decree No. 75/2020: This legislation institutionalized these centers, ensuring that the government is legally mandated to provide these multi-sectoral services rather than relying solely on NGOs.
3. World Bank WBL 2026 Snapshot
Mozambique outperforms the regional average for Sub-Saharan Africa in several key pillars, though a significant "implementation gap" remains between the capital, Maputo, and rural provinces.
| Pillar | Score (Out of 100) | Analysis |
| Legal Frameworks | 69.0 | Strong: Above global and regional averages due to the 2015 & 2019 reforms. |
| Supportive Frameworks | 39.2 | Improving: Highlighted for its integrated care centers (CAIs). |
| Enforcement Perceptions | 51.0 | Moderate: High awareness in urban centers, but social norms slow progress in rural areas. |
4. Recent 2024-2025 Reforms: Parenthood and Work
As part of the WBL 2026 reporting cycle, Mozambique enacted three specific reforms that indirectly improve domestic safety by increasing women's economic independence:
Parenthood Protections: New laws were passed to support women returning to work after childbirth, reducing the financial dependency that often traps victims in abusive homes.
Childcare Support: Mozambique is one of the few economies in the region with laws that establish formal support for non-state childcare providers, allowing more women to enter the formal workforce.
5. The "Premature Unions" Law (2019)
While domestic violence often focuses on adults, Mozambique took a leading stance against Child Marriage through Law 19/2019.
No Exceptions: The law set the minimum age of marriage at 18 for both boys and girls, with no parental consent exceptions.
Criminal Penalties: It introduced prison sentences for adults who authorize, celebrate, or enter into marriages with minors, addressing one of the root causes of lifelong domestic vulnerability.
Expert Insight: Mozambique’s challenge is now "Legal Literacy." While the laws in Maputo are some of the most progressive in Africa, the World Bank notes that many women in rural districts are still governed by customary practices that contradict these new national laws.
Canada: Pioneering the Fight Against "Invisible" Violence
Canada is a global leader in the World Bank’s Women, Business and the Law 2026 report, particularly for its innovative focus on coercive control and judicial accountability. While many nations focus on physical assault, Canada has led the charge in criminalizing the psychological and emotional patterns that often precede physical violence.
1. The Criminalization of Coercive Control (Bill C-332)
In a major legislative milestone in 2024-2025, Canada moved to close a massive gap in its Criminal Code.
Beyond Physicality: Bill C-332 created a new criminal offense for coercive and controlling conduct. This targets abusers who use patterns of isolation, financial control, and surveillance to strip a partner of their autonomy.
The "Psychological Prison": The law recognizes that a victim’s safety includes their psychological safety. It allows police to intervene in situations where there is no "bruise" but there is a clear, dangerous pattern of entrapment.
2. "Keira’s Law" and Judicial Training
Canada’s leadership is defined by its commitment to Judicial Accountability. Named after Keira Kagan, a young girl killed by her father during a court-ordered visit, this law (enacted in mid-2023 and fully integrated into practice by 2025) transformed the family court system.
Mandatory Social Context Training: Judges are now encouraged (and through new reporting requirements, effectively pressured) to undergo specialized training on intimate partner violence (IPV) and the dynamics of coercive control.
Risk Assessment: The law mandates that judges consider "coercive control" as a primary factor when determining the "best interests of the child" in custody battles, preventing abusers from using the court system to continue their control.
3. World Bank WBL 2026 Performance
Canada consistently earns some of the highest scores globally, particularly in the Safety and Workplace pillars.
| Pillar | Score (Out of 100) | Highlight |
| Legal Frameworks | 100.0 | Perfect score; laws cover everything from domestic violence to sexual harassment. |
| Supportive Frameworks | 87.5 | High; strong national action plans and survivor services across provinces. |
| Enforcement Perceptions | 81.3 | Strong; reflects high public trust in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and local police responses. |
4. Electronic Monitoring for High-Risk Offenders
In 2025, Canada expanded its use of technology to protect survivors. Under the latest amendments to the Criminal Code:
GPS Monitoring: Judges can now mandate that an accused person wear an electronic monitoring device as a condition of their release if they pose a high risk to an intimate partner.
Geofencing: If an abuser enters a restricted zone (like the survivor's home or workplace), the victim and local police are notified instantly via a mobile app.
5. Addressing the "Shadow Pandemic" in Rural Areas
Canada’s 2026 focus is on the implementation gap in rural and Indigenous communities.
The National Action Plan (2023-2033): The government is currently in "Year 3" of a decade-long plan to ensure that services available in Toronto or Vancouver (like specialized shelters and legal aid) are equally accessible to women in Northern and Indigenous communities, where rates of violence are significantly higher.
Key Takeaway: Canada’s "leading" status comes from its willingness to look at the intent of the abuser, not just the result of the abuse. By criminalizing the pattern of control and training judges to see it, Canada is attempting to stop violence before it turns lethal.
Global Best Practices: Lessons from Leading Nations
The World Bank’s Women, Business and the Law 2026 report identifies several "best practices" that separate countries with laws "on paper" from those that effectively protect women. These eight countries demonstrate that a successful strategy requires a three-pronged approach: strong laws, supportive infrastructure, and guaranteed enforcement.
1. The "Holistic" Legal Model (Spain & Canada)
The primary best practice in these nations is treating domestic violence not as a private "dispute," but as a structural human rights violation.
Specialized Judiciary (Spain): Creating dedicated "Violence Against Women" courts ensures that judges understand the cycle of abuse, preventing the victim from being treated like a standard litigant in a civil divorce.
Focus on Coercive Control (Canada): Moving beyond physical "hits" to criminalize the psychological "net" of isolation and financial control is now considered the gold standard for early intervention.
2. The "One-Stop Shop" Service Model (Brazil, Iceland, & Mozambique)
Survivors often drop their cases because navigating the police, hospitals, and lawyers is exhausting. Best practice involves service integration.
Integrated Care Centers (Iceland & Mozambique): Both countries utilize a "Single Door" policy where medical, legal, and psychological aid are housed in one building.
Specialized Police (Brazil): Women-led police stations (DEAMs) reduce the "secondary victimization" that occurs when male officers dismiss domestic reports as "family drama."
3. Economic Empowerment as Prevention (Iceland & Morocco)
A woman cannot leave an abuser if she is financially tethered to him.
Mandatory Pay Equity (Iceland): By legally mandating equal pay, Iceland ensures women have the individual capital to escape dangerous situations.
Family Code Reform (Morocco): Recognizing unpaid domestic labor as an asset during divorce ensures women aren't left destitute after leaving an abusive household.
4. Data-Driven Accountability (Monaco & Algeria)
You cannot fix what you do not measure.
Inter-Agency Data Sharing (Monaco): By comparing hospital records with police reports, Monaco identifies "at-risk" women who haven't yet felt safe enough to report to the police.
Fast-Track Protection (Algeria): The best practice of "Immediate Protection Orders" allows the state to remove an abuser before the investigation is complete, prioritizing life over property rights.
Comparative Analysis of Best Practice Pillars
| Best Practice Pillar | Lead Country | Key Tool |
| Institutional Specialized | Spain | Specialized Courts & Police Units. |
| Survivor-Centric | Brazil | Women’s Police Stations (DEAMs). |
| Economic Autonomy | Iceland | Mandatory Equal Pay Certification. |
| Legal Modernization | Canada | Criminalization of Coercive Control. |
| State Guarantee | Monaco | State-funded victim compensation. |
World Bank 2026 Finding: The most effective "best practice" is the State Pact. When a country (like Spain or Canada) allocates a specific, non-negotiable national budget to domestic violence, the laws are much more likely to be enforced than in countries where funding is left to local municipalities.
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