Opening the doors: Removing job restrictions to fuel women’s economic empowerment

In the early 21^st century, the world seemed poised for a golden age — one where poverty could be eradicated, living standards would rise, and a livable planet was within reach. Since then, significant progress has been made for a more equitable future. Yet, persistent barriers remain for women to participate in the labor market and fully contribute to economic development.

Despite the adoption of several international legal standards, such as the International Labor Organization’s C111 Convention to ban occupational segregation, and the increased emphasis on occupational health and safety measures instead of outright restrictions, women in 59 of the 190 economies surveyed by the World Bank’s Women, Business, and the Law report still face legal and systemic barriers to entering jobs in different economic sectors, including mining, factories, construction, energy, water, agriculture, and transportation (see Figure 1).  

These restrictions are not only a moral injustice but also an economic burden. Indeed, occupational sex segregation leads to labor market inefficiencies, reduces economic flexibility, and contributes to unemployment and skill gaps by limiting mobility between gendered occupations.  

The mining sector is the most restrictive, with about a quarter of the 190 economies surveyed limiting women's employment in this sector. Significant barriers also exist in construction and factories, while transportation, agriculture, energy, and water sectors are less restrictive but still limited (Figure 1). These types of restrictions minimize women’s job choices worldwide, particularly in economies where industrial sectors constitute the backbone of the economy and employs the majority of the labor force. In Papua New Guinea, for example, the minerals and energy extraction sectors dominate export earnings, making up over 25% of the economy’s GPD every year. Yet, women are barred from working in the mining and energy sectors, hindering their access to some of the country’s most lucrative sectors and being segregated to lower paying jobs.

Job restrictions vary significantly across regions and income groups (Figure 2). South Asia leads with 62.5% of its countries restricting jobs for women, followed by Europe & Central Asia at 39%. Lower-middle- and low-income countries have the highest prevalence, but almost 30% of upper-middle income countries also stifle women’s employment choices. These findings paint a stark picture of global gender inequality in labor market access. Economic growth alone is not enough to dismantle entrenched restrictions; more must be done to challenge and overcome societal norms and biases that hinder women’s economic participation.

Still, the picture is not all bleak. In 2023, five economies lifted restrictions to women’s work in different economic sectors. Azerbaijan removed restrictions in over 600 occupations. Sierra Leonne repealed restrictions in all economic sectors, while Uzbekistan removed those in the mining sector. Malaysia removed bans on women working night shifts in industrial settings, and Jordan now restricts certain jobs to only pregnant and nursing women, creating more opportunities across various sectors.

As the saying goes, “you can’t fix what you don’t measure”, so legal frameworks need to be backed by data for a clearer understanding. Yet only 90 out of 190 economies have published sex-disaggregated data on women’s employment by sector in the past three years. Mining, the most restrictive sector, is underreported, with data from only 80 economies, while 92 economies have published such data for the less restrictive transportation sector (Figure 3). This discrepancy highlights a troubling reality: the sectors with the most entrenched gender barriers to the labor market are not necessarily the ones receiving the most scrutiny.

Everyone has a stake in ensuring equal economic opportunities for women, and that requires a three-pronged approach: adequate measurement, legal reform, and strong international cooperation and accountability. Collecting and analyzing sex-disaggregated data can inform evidence-based policymaking. Legal and policy reforms that remove restrictions to employment choices and promote workplace gender equality is crucial to open economic opportunities for women. Finally, fostering international cooperation and holding countries accountable are essential to ensure commitments to advancing women’s economic rights are upheld.

Governments, policy makers, civil society organizations, and individuals can utilize Women, Business and the Law data and findings to assess the legal and regulatory environment in their countries, promote reforms that ensures women’s access to the labor market, and contribute to boosting shared prosperity and equal economic opportunities for everyone.