Women, Business and the Law 2016

Book excerpt: In a changing world, how can we be sure that women as well as men entrepreneurs and workers obtain the benefit from these changes? Ensuring that women have the same legal opportunities as men is one part of the picture. By measuring where the law treats men and women differently, Women, Business and the Law shines a light on how women's incentives or capacity to work are affected by the legal environment and provides a basis for improving regulation. The fourth edition in a series, Women, Business and the Law 2016: Getting to Equal examines laws and regulations affecting women's prospects as entrepreneurs and employees in 173 economies, across seven areas: accessing institutions, using property, getting a job, providing incentives to work, building credit, going to court, and protecting women from violence. The report's quantitative indicators are intended to inform research and policy discussions on how to improve women's economic opportunities and outcomes.