Jordan ranks 46.9/100 in ‘Women, Business and the Law 2022’ report

AMMAN — Jordan maintained its ranking at 46.9 points out of 100 in the “Women, Business and the Law 2022” report issued by the World Bank on Tuesday. 

The report measures laws and regulations across 190 countries in 8 areas impacting women’s economic participation.

The eight areas are mobility, workplace, pay, marriage, parenthood, entrepreneurship, assets, and pensions, as the report’s data offer objective and measurable benchmarks for global progress towards gender equality, to the World Bank said in a statement,.

The report indicated that Jordan remained stable in its global ranking for 2022, having advanced by six points in 2021 compared to the “Women, Business Activities and the Law 2020” report, which at the time ranked at 40.9 points out of 100.

According to the report, Jordan maintained its score of 100 out of 100 in the field of entrepreneurship, having made it easier for women to access credit by prohibiting gender discrimination in financial services.

Regarding mobility, Jordan maintained its ranking at 25 out of 100. It also stayed at 0 out of 100 in laws and regulations affecting women at the workplace, and at 75 out of 100 on laws affecting women’s payment for the second year in a row, the report showed.

For restrictions related to marriage, Jordan scored 20 out of 100 once more, and 40 out of 100 for restrictions related to parenthood which affect women’s work.

“In Jordan, women may be eligible for a six-month allowance for childcare, depending on their salary range, work, and insurance status,” read the report.

Jordan remained at 40 out of 100 for gender differences in assets, and at 75 points out of 100 for laws affecting the size of women’s pension, the report noted.

The report also indicated that Jordan’s overall score (46.9) out of 100 was lower than the regional average in the Middle East and North Africa (53), noting that Jordan should consider reforms to improve legal equality for women.

According to the report, globally around 2.4 billion women of working age are not afforded equal economic opportunity and 178 countries maintain legal barriers that prevent their full economic participation.

Women in the Middle East and North Africa have on average only half of the legal rights that men do, the report showed.

Despite the pandemic’s disproportionate effect on women’s lives and livelihood, 23 countries reformed their laws in 2021, taking much-needed steps towards advancing women’s economic inclusion, according to the report.

Mari Pangestu, World Bank Managing Director of Development Policy and Partnerships, noted that the gap between men’s and women’s expected lifetime earnings globally is $172 trillion, which is nearly two times the world’s annual GDP, despite progress that has been made.

“As we move forward to achieve green, resilient and inclusive development, governments need to accelerate the pace of legal reforms so that women can realise their full potential and benefit fully and equally,” Pangestu said in the statement.

Carmen Reinhart, Senior Vice President and Chief Economist of the World Bank Group, added that “women cannot achieve equality in the workplace if they are on an unequal footing at home”. 

“That means leveling the playing field and ensuring that having children doesn’t mean women are excluded from full participation in the economy and realising their hopes and ambitions,” Reinhard said in the statement.