Gender equality is a core challenge to be met.
More than 95% of women worldwide live in economies that do not provide full legal equality. Even in economies that have modernised their laws, women still face constraints that limit the work they can do, the businesses they can start, and the safety they need to pursue opportunities.
The World Economic Forum’s 2025 Global Gender Gap Index shows that no economy has yet achieved full gender parity. With a score of 92.6%, Iceland continues to lead the Index, holding the top position for 16 consecutive years, and remains the only economy to have closed more than 90% of its gender gap since 2022. The global gender gap score in 2025, across all 148 economies included in the report, stands at 68.8% closed. This means that nearly 2.4 billion women have less than 69% of the legal rights enjoyed by men globally.
Globally, women spend, on average, 2.4 more hours per day on unpaid care work than men, and they earn 61 cents for every dollar earned by men.
Barriers to women’s access to economic life
Several barriers consistently restrict women’s full participation in economic life:
- Safety: When protections against violence are weak or poorly enforced, women cannot work, travel freely, or participate fully in public life.
- Healthcare: Many women cannot access essential health services or obtain the contraceptives they wish to use. Strengthening primary healthcare systems and expanding access to contraception enable women to make informed choices about their families and their futures.
- Childcare: In low-income countries, only 1% of essential childcare support frameworks are in place. Without reliable and affordable childcare, mothers face impossible trade-offs: reducing working hours, turning down opportunities, or leaving the workforce entirely.
- Limited access to credit, markets, and weak enforcement of economic rights: Although the legal ability to start a business is nearly universal, only about half of the world’s economies guarantee equal access to finance. That is a significant barrier to women’s entrepreneurship, as many women are unable to take out a loan, sign a contract, register a business, or even work without permission from a husband or male guardian. Without capital, women-led firms cannot grow, create jobs, innovate, or contribute fully to economic development.
Regions that would benefit most from women’s economic contributions – such as the Middle East and North Africa, South Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa – continue to maintain some of the most restrictive legal barriers to women’s full participation. These regions also have some of the fastest growing youth populations. Without urgent reform, millions of young women will remain excluded from the workforce just as their economies need their talent most.
Leaving women behind is self-defeating for economies
Leaving women on the ‘economic sidelines’ is not simply unfair; it is self-defeating. It means that families, communities, and countries miss out on the far-reaching benefits of women’s full participation in society.
A substantial body of research shows that when women work, lead, and innovate, economies become more productive, businesses perform better, and societies become more resilient. Gender inclusion strengthens labour markets, boosts productivity, and fuels economic dynamism. In some regions, such as South Asia, it may be one of the most effective strategies for increasing economic growth.
The role of women in global food production is particularly significant. In many low- and middle-income countries, women produce 60 to 80% of the food consumed locally. Yet they own less than 20% of the world’s agricultural land and have limited access to irrigation, tools, credit, and other essential services. This makes farming more difficult for women than for men, leaving them less productive and more vulnerable to external shocks.
According to Jackie Jones, Director of the Women in Leadership Program & Adolescent and Youth Learning Agenda at the Gates Foundation, expanding economic opportunities for women could increase global GDP by more than 7% by 2030. Closing the gender health gap alone could grow the global economy by US$1 trillion every year, as investment in women’s health enables them to attend school, work, and support their families. Addressing gaps in food production could add nearly $1 trillion to the global economy while reducing food insecurity and helping at least 45 million people. Furthermore, closing the entrepreneurship gap, by enabling women to start and grow businesses at the same rate as men, could boost the global economy by an estimated US$5 trillion to US$6 trillion.
Conclusion
No economy can afford to leave half of its potential untapped. No young woman who wants to work or run a business should find her future constrained by outdated laws or institutions that fail to uphold her rights.
Unlocking women’s talents and energy drives economic growth that benefits everyone. Can governments afford to miss out on these gains?
Written by Veronique Ropion, Director of Business Strategy, Marketing & Corporate Communication
Sources:
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Overview. The status of women in agrifood systems.
- Gates Foundation 2026. Jones J. When we invest in women, everyone gains.
- Slowfood 2023. Davies V. Family Farming Knowledge Platform.
- World Bank blogs. Indermit G. Keeping women on the sidelines of the economy isn’t simply unjust—it’s self-defeating. February 24, 2026.
- World Economic Forum. Global Gender Gap Report June 2025.
