Moving closer to a future where opportunities for women are not limited

The views expressed in the Let’s Talk Development blog are solely those of the author(s).

It takes a nuanced understanding of the interplay between laws and cultural norms to ensure that women enjoy the same economic opportunities as men. Laws provide the foundation for change, but their impact is often hindered by cultural and institutional barriers. Social norms, although deeply rooted, are not static; they evolve in response to legal reforms, cultural shifts, and economic pressures.

Legal Reforms as Drivers of Change

The World Bank’s latest Women, Business, and the Law report analyzed legal frameworks across 190 economies, finding significant progress in areas like workplace rights and parental leave. These legal reforms are reshaping norms and challenging entrenched stereotypes. Policies such as corporate board quotas increase female leadership representation, while “daddy quotas” in parental leave encourage men to share caregiving responsibilities.

However, laws cannot operate in isolation. They rely on supportive frameworks (policies, institutions, services, data, budget, and access to justice), enforcement mechanisms and cultural acceptance to succeed. Right now, the gap is still wide: on average, women enjoy only 64% of the legal rights that men do, and fewer than 40% of the enforcement systems needed to uphold those rights are in place (Figure 1). Without these, even well-designed reforms struggle to achieve their intended impact. For instance, parental leave policies normalize caregiving roles for men, but their uptake can be limited when cultural norms discourage men from taking leave. Strong legal frameworks, combined with incremental change, can help address these gaps by fostering acceptance and building institutional capacity over time.

Incremental Change and Supportive Frameworks

Incremental reforms combined with community engagement through media and campaigns, can effectively address deeply entrenched gender norms. In Somalia, targeted interventions successfully reduced extreme forms of female genital mutilation, while remote work initiatives in restrictive cultures created new pathways for workforce participation. These examples demonstrate how gradual approaches, supported by institutions that enforce laws and foster cultural acceptance, can drive meaningful and lasting change.

Supportive frameworks, such as employer training and awareness campaigns on policies like parental leave, play a crucial role in sustaining these reforms. Flexible work arrangements further illustrate the complexities of gender-focused policies. In India, remote work has allowed women to bypass mobility restrictions and join the workforce. In high income countries, it has sometimes reinforced traditional caregiving roles, with women disproportionately managing household responsibilities. These contrasting outcomes underscore the need for complementary policies—such as subsidized childcare, employer training, and cultural awareness initiatives—to ensure flexible work promotes equality and avoids unintended consequences. Addressing underlying norms and institutional barriers is essential to realizing the full potential of such policies.

Engaging men and boys is equally critical. Economic stagnation and shifting societal roles can foster perceptions that women’s empowerment comes at men’s expense. Research highlights a significant gap between actual and perceived societal support for gender balance.

Men often underestimate their peers’ positive views on issues like women’s freedom to work and affirmative action. Correcting these misperceptions through targeted communication and peer engagement can reduce resistance and foster broader acceptance of reforms. Aligning perceptions with reality is a critical step in fostering cultural change. For example, countries with stronger legal protections for women tend to exhibit a decline in traditional beliefs, such as the notion that men have greater rights to jobs (Figure 2). Education and media can be powerful tools in influencing young people’s attitudes.

Charting the Path Forward

Closing gender gaps in the labor market is not just a social priority—it’s an economic necessity, especially for developing countries facing poverty, unemployment, and underused talent. By expanding women's access to decent work, countries can unlock a powerful driver of growth.

The WBL database offers a vital resource for policymakers to understand the interplay between laws, supportive frameworks, and social norms. Strengthening the implementation of existing laws, investing in awareness and employer training, and encouraging inclusive work arrangements are practical, proven steps forward.

But progress depends on more than policy. It depends on changing perceptions, challenging assumptions, and expanding what people believe is possible—for women, for men, and for society as a whole.

^{This blog is based on insights shared during a panel discussion at the conference co-hosted by Women, Business and the Law and the International Economic Association. The panel featured Eliana La Ferrara, Penny Goldberg, Marianne Bertrand, and Matthias Doepke, moderated by Raquel Fernandez, with Leonardo Bursztyn as the keynote speaker.}