Facts for Prelims (FFP)
Source: World Bank
Context: The “Women, Business and the Law 2024” report by the World Bank Group examines laws and regulations affecting women’s economic opportunities across 190 economies.
The report analyzes challenges hindering women’s workforce entry and economic contribution, updating the Women, Business and the Law index with new indicators like Safety and Childcare. Findings reveal a significant global gap in women’s legal rights, with potential economic growth if discriminatory laws are eliminated. India’s rank in the report improved marginally to 113 out of 190.
Key aspect of the Report:
| Aspects | Findings |
| 10 Indicators of Assessment include | Safety: Women globally have a third of the legal protection needed from domestic violence, sexual harassment, child marriage, and femicide. |
| Workplace and Pay: Women earn just 77 cents for every dollar paid to men. Less than 20% of economies have adopted enforcement mechanisms for the pay gap. Indian women have just 60% of the legal rights compared to men | |
| Parenthood: Women spend nearly 2.4 hours more per day on unpaid care work than men, primarily childcare. | |
| Childcare: Nearly all economies performed poorly in childcare support. | |
| Mobility, Entrepreneurship, Assets and Pension. | |
| Recommendations | Expand maternity and paternity leave provisions. Enact legal mandate for equal pay and lift restrictions on women’s work in industrial jobs. |
| Implement legally binding quotas for women on corporate boards. (Already implemented in India). Ensure equal retirement benefits for women, considering childcare-related work absences. | |
| India’s initiatives for gender equality in the workplace | The Code on Wages, 2019: Prohibits gender discrimination in wages and recruitment. Maternity Benefit Amendment Act, 2017: Provides maternity benefits and creche facility. Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition, and Redressal) Act, 2013 (POSH Act). |
