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UN ESCAP and ASEAN Committee on WomenEnhancing Women’s Economic Empowerment in ASEAN countries

Marina Elefante| December 3, 2020

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LAWS AFFECT WOMEN THROUGHOUT THEIR WORKING LIVES

Women navigate discriminatory laws and regulations atevery point in their careers, limiting their equality of opportunity.

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HIGHER SCORES MEAN BETTER OUTCOMES FOR WOMEN

Better performance is associated with more women in the labor force and with higher incomeand improved development outcomes.

Higher female labor force participation

Lower wage gap between women and men

Improved development outcomes

WBL Index Score

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WOMEN HAVE JUST THREE FOURTHS OFTHE RIGHTS OF MEN

The global average Women, Business and the Law index score is 75.2.

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ASEAN COUNTRIESWBL SCORES

The regional average Women, Business and the Law index score for ASEAN countries is 71.

88.1

75

78.8

78.1

81.3

64.4

82.5

53.150

58.8

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THE ASEAN REGION AT A GLANCE

• Top performers: Lao, PDR (88.1), Singapore (82.5), and The Philippines (81.3).

• Economies in the region perform well in the areas of Mobility (85), Entrepreneurship (85), and Assets (82).

Key Strengths

• Brunei and Malaysia score 0 in Parenthood.• No economy in the region, except for Brunei, accounts

for periods of absence due to childcare in calculating pension benefits.

Areas of Improvement

• In 1970, the average regional score was 44.5. Over the last 50 years, the ASEAN countries have gained 26.5 points overall.

• Lao PDR is one of the top 10 most improved economies globally.

50 Years of Progress in Women’s Rights

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TWO ASEAN ECONOMIES REFORMED TOWARD EQUALITY

June 2, 2017 - September 1, 2019

Philippines and Thailand

Philippines: paid maternity leave from 60 to 105 daysThailand: equal remuneration for work of equal value

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KEY STRENGTHS IN THE REGION

Entrepreneurship

Average score for ASEAN countries: 85

Cambodia, Lao, The Philippines and Vietnam receive a score of 100 in this indicator.

All 10 economies in the region allow a woman to sign a contract, register a business and open a bank account in

the same way as a man

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Just four economies in the region prohibit discrimination in access to credit based on gender

CONSTRAINTS ON WOMEN’S ACCESS TO CREDIT REMAIN

Gender-based discrimination in access to credit is not prohibited in Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore

and Thailand

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HOW THE LAW PROHIBITS

DISCRIMINATION IN ACCESS TO CREDIT BASED

ON GENDER

• Women of legal age, regardless of civil status, shall have the capacity to act and enter into contracts which shall in every respect be equal to that of men under similar circumstances. […] To this end:-Women shall have the capacity to borrow and obtain loans and execute security and credit arrangement under the same conditions as men.

• Philippines Women in Development and Nation Building Act, Sec. 5

• The act of refusing to supply goods or service to a person is punishable by imprisonment […] when the refusal is based on one of the following motives: […] 6. a person's sex.

• Criminal Code of Cambodia, Art. 265

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STRONG PROPERTY RIGHTS ARE CRUCIAL FOR ACCESS TO CREDIT

Reforms related to property ownership and inheritance are the most difficult to pass.

In Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia and Malaysia women and men do not have equal inheritance rights.

In The Philippines women and men do not have equal ownership rights over immovable property.

In Myanmar the law does not provide for valuation of nonmonetary contributions.

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THE PATHFORWARDGovernments can use the Women, Business and the Law index to identify legal impediments to women’seconomic opportunities.

IDENTIFY GOOD PRACTICES

INCORPORATE AN ECONOMIC ANALYSIS

INFLUENCE REFORM

Examining the legislation that works for women.

Proving that investing in women is smart economics.

Closing the legal gender gap for economic growth.

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LEARNMORE

Read the study and download the data set, economy snapshots, and other resources at wbl.worldbank.org.

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THANK YOU!

wbl.worldbank.org

#womenbizlaw#get2equal

Contact: melefante@worldbank.org

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