Resource information
This report presents indicators based
on laws and regulations affecting women's prospects as
entrepreneurs and employees. Several of these indicators
draw on the Gender Law Library, a collection of over 2,000
legal provisions impacting women's economic status.
Both resources can inform research and policy discussions on
how to improve women's economic opportunities and
outcomes. The six indicators of gender differences in formal
laws and institutions established in this report include: 1)
accessing institutions, 2 ) using prpoerty, 3) getting a
job, 4) dealing with taxes, 5) building credit, and 6) going
to court. The first 3 indicators (accessing institutions,
using property, and getting a job) capture laws that have
direct gender dimensions and are based on a reading of such
laws from the perspective of individual women. The 4th
indicator (dealing with taxes) examines the direct and
indirect gender implications of tax policy from the
perspective of 4 standardized families with varying tax
liabilities. The last 2 indicators (building credit and
going to court) examine the ease of access to credit bureaus
and courts to examine the indirect effects that microfinance
institutions and dispute resolution have on women, who are
more likely to rely on nontraditional financial services.
