Description: Women's Legal Rights over 50 Years : Progress, Stagnation or Regression?

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Women's Legal Rights over 50 Years : Progress, Stagnation or Regression?

Using a newly compiled database of women's property rights and legal capacity covering 100 countries over 50 years, this paper analyzes the triggers and barriers to reform. The database documents gender gaps in the ability to access and own as...

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Main Authors:	Hallward-Driemeier, Mary, Hasan, Tazeen, Rusu, Anca Bogdana
Language:	English en_US
Published:	World Bank, Washington, DC 2015
Subjects:	ACCESS TO CAPITAL ACTIONS ACTS ADULT LITERACY AGE OF MARRIAGE AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION AGRICULTURAL SECTOR ARMED CONFLICT ARMED CONFLICTS BANK ACCOUNT BANK ACCOUNTS BIASES BREADWINNER CASE LAW CHILD CARE CITIZEN CITIZENS CITIZENSHIP CIVIL LAW CIVIL LAW SYSTEMS CIVIL SOCIETY CIVIL WAR CODES COLLATERAL COMMON LAW CONSTITUTIONAL COURT CONSTITUTIONS CORRUPTION COURT CREDITOR CRIME CRIMINAL CUSTOMARY LAW CUSTOMARY LAWS DEVELOPING COUNTRIES DEVELOPMENT FINANCE DEVELOPMENT POLICY DISCRIMINATION DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN DISCRIMINATORY LAWS DISTRIBUTION OF WEALTH DIVERSIFICATION DIVORCE DOMESTIC POLITICS EARNINGS ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT ECONOMIC EQUALITY ECONOMIC GROWTH ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES ECONOMIC POLICY ECONOMIC RIGHTS EDUCATION FOR GIRLS ELIMINATION OF DISCRIMINATION EMPLOYEE EMPLOYERS EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES EMPOWERING WOMEN EMPOWERMENT ENROLLMENT EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN EQUAL RIGHTS EQUAL TREATMENT EQUALITY EQUALITY BEFORE THE LAW EQUALITY FOR WOMEN EXPENDITURE FAMILY LAW FAMILY LAWS FEMALE FEMALE LABOR FORCE FEMALE POPULATION FEMALES FEMINIST FINANCIAL SUPPORT FIRST MARRIAGE FOREIGN LAW FORMS OF DISCRIMINATION GENDER GENDER ASSESSMENT GENDER DIFFERENCES GENDER DIFFERENTIALS GENDER EQUALITY GENDER GAP GENDER GAPS GENDER LAW GENDER PARITY GENDER RELATIONS GENDER RIGHTS GENDER] LAWS GENDERS GENOCIDE GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT GROUP RIGHTS HEAD OF HOUSEHOLD HEAD OF HOUSEHOLDS HEADS OF HOUSEHOLD HEALTH CARE HOME HOMES HOUSEHOLD DUTIES HOUSEHOLD FINANCES HOUSEHOLD INCOME HOUSEHOLDS HUMAN RIGHTS HUSBAND HUSBANDS IMPLEMENTATION OF LAWS INCOME GROUPS INDIGENOUS POPULATIONS INEQUALITIES INEQUALITY INFANT INFANT HEALTH INFANT MORTALITY INFANT MORTALITY RATE INHERITANCE INHERITANCE RIGHTS INTERNATIONAL BANK INTERNATIONAL CONVENTIONS INTERNATIONAL FOOD POLICY RESEARCH INSTITUTE INTERNATIONAL LAW INVESTMENT IN CHILDREN LABOR FORCE LABOR FORCE PARTICIPATION LABOR LAWS LABOR MARKET LABOR SUPPLY LAND OWNERSHIP LAW REFORM LAWS LEGAL AGE LEGAL CAPACITY LEGAL CHANGE LEGAL FRAMEWORK LEGAL ISSUES LEGAL PLURALISM LEGAL REFORMS LEGAL REQUIREMENT LEGAL RIGHTS LEGAL STATUS LEGAL SYSTEMS LEGISLATION LEGISLATORS LEVEL OF DEVELOPMENT LIFE EXPECTANCY LIMITED ACCESS LITERACY LITIGATION LIVE BIRTHS LOW-INCOME COUNTRIES MALARIA MALE HEIRS MALNOURISHED CHILDREN MARITAL PROPERTY MARRIAGES MARRIED COUPLES MARRIED MAN MARRIED WOMAN MATERNITY LEAVE MINORITY MINORITY COMMUNITIES MOBILIZATION OF WOMEN MORTALITY NATIONAL LEVEL NATIONAL LEVELS NATIONAL SECURITY NATIONALS NATURAL RESOURCES NEWBORN NUTRITION OFFENDERS OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN OWNERSHIP RIGHTS PARLIAMENTARY SEATS PARLIAMENTARY UNION PARTICIPATION OF WOMEN PEACE PERSONAL PROPERTY PERSONAL STATUS PERSONAL STATUS LAWS POLICY DISCUSSIONS POLICY MAKERS POLICY RESEARCH POLICY RESEARCH WORKING PAPER POLITICAL LEADERSHIP POLITICAL PARTICIPATION POLYGAMOUS MARRIAGES POLYGAMY POST CONFLICT RECONSTRUCTION PRIMARY EDUCATION PRIMARY SCHOOL PRIOR TO MARRIAGE PROGRESS PROPERTY OWNERSHIP PROPERTY RIGHTS PUBLIC SERVICES REAL ESTATE RELIGIOUS LAW RELIGIOUS SYSTEMS RESPECT ROLE MODELS ROLE OF WOMEN ROMAN LAW RULE OF LAW SAFETY NET SANCTION SECONDARY EDUCATION SELF-EMPLOYMENT SEX SHADOW REPORT SHADOW REPORTS SINGLE WOMEN SLUM DWELLERS SOCIAL NORMS SPOUSE SPOUSES STATE LAW TERTIARY EDUCATION TERTIARY LEVEL TRADITIONAL PRACTICES TREATIES TREATY UNMARRIED MEN UNMARRIED WOMEN VILLAGE VIRTUAL LIBRARIES WAGE DIFFERENTIALS WIFE WILL WIVES WOMEN IN PARLIAMENT WOMEN LAWYERS WOMEN'S ISSUES WORLD CONFERENCE WORLD CONFERENCE ON WOMEN YOUNG ADULT YOUNG WOMEN
Online Access:	http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2013/09/18287629/women s-legal-rights-over-50-years-progress-stagnation-or-regression http://hdl.handle.net/10986/21474

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Summary:	Using a newly compiled database of women's property rights and legal capacity covering 100 countries over 50 years, this paper analyzes the triggers and barriers to reform. The database documents gender gaps in the ability to access and own assets, to sign legal documents in one's own name, and to have equality or non-discrimination as a guiding principle of the country's constitution. Progress in reducing these constraints has been dramatic -- half of the constraints documented in the 1960s had been removed by 2010. However, some sticky areas persist where laws have not changed or have even regressed. The paper analyzes potential drivers of reforms. A significant finding is that the relationship with a country's level of development and the extent of its reforms is not straightforward. For the first half of the sample, there was no systematic connection; only in the last 25 years have increases in income been associated with higher probabilities for reform, but only in lower-income countries. With the remaining constraints as prevalent in middle- as low-income countries, increased growth is not necessarily going to spark additional reforms. Clearer patterns emerge from the momentum created by international conventions, such as the Committee to Eliminate All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), women's political representation at the national level, mobilization of women's networks, and increasing labor force participation in sectors that provide a voice for women, which are positive forces for change. Conversely, conflict and weak rule of law can entrench a discriminatory status quo. And much is at stake; strengthening women's legal rights is associated with important development outcomes that can benefit society as a whole.