A recent report emphasizes the urgent need for stronger laws and institutions to advance global gender equality. The **2025 Global Gender Gap Report**, a collaboration between the **World Economic Forum** and the **World Bank’s Women, Business and the Law project**, highlights that progress must be made on three essential fronts: legal frameworks, institutional support, and measurable outcomes.
Achieving gender parity presents not only a moral obligation but also a significant economic opportunity. According to the report, closing the gender gap in the labour force could potentially increase long-term GDP per capita by an average of **20 percent** across various countries. Furthermore, enhancing women’s entrepreneurship could contribute an impressive **$5-6 trillion** to the global economy.
Despite these economic incentives, numerous legal and policy barriers persist. The analysis reveals that among **190 economies**, **96** do not prohibit gender-based discrimination in access to credit. Additionally, **92** countries lack laws mandating equal pay for equal work, while **77** still restrict women from pursuing certain higher-paid professions. Alarmingly, **18 countries** maintain laws that explicitly require a wife to obey her husband.
The **Global Gender Gap Index**, compiled by the **World Economic Forum**, indicates that nations with robust legal frameworks tend to enjoy better gender parity outcomes. These include higher female labour force participation rates, improved access to education and healthcare, equitable pay, and greater political representation.
Saadia Zahidi, Managing Director of the **World Economic Forum**, noted that the report’s findings come at a critical juncture. She stated, “Technological breakthroughs, geopolitical conflict, and economic uncertainty are creating unprecedented challenges as well as bringing new opportunities. In such a rapidly changing environment, gender parity is both a principle and a strategy.”
As of now, the global gender gap is **68.8 percent** closed, which means that at the present rate, the world is approximately **123 years** away from achieving full gender parity. Progress has been more pronounced in health, which is **96.2 percent** closed, and education, at **95.1 percent**. In contrast, areas such as economic participation are only **61 percent** closed, and political empowerment lags significantly at **22.9 percent**.
While the report underscores the importance of laws and policies in closing gender gaps, it also emphasizes that these must be supported by effective systems and social norms. Although **98 economies** have enacted legislation mandating equal pay for work of equal value, only **35 economies** have implemented pay-transparency measures or enforcement mechanisms to tackle the pay gap.
In conclusion, the **2025 Global Gender Gap Report** stresses that achieving gender equality requires a comprehensive approach: stronger laws, stronger institutions, and improved outcomes. “No single effort is enough. Lasting change depends on aligning all three,” the report asserts. This multi-faceted strategy is crucial for closing the gender gap and fostering a more equitable global society.
