The most comprehensive compilation of information on the status of
women in the world.

Latest items for LO-PRACTICE-1

March 30, 2023, 12:18 p.m.
Countries: Central African Rep
Variables: LO-PRACTICE-1, LO-LAW-1, IAW-PRACTICE-1, IAW-LAW-1, IAD-PRACTICE-1, IAD-LAW-1

"The formal law does not discriminate against women in inheritance and property rights, but the government did not enforce the formal law effectively, and discriminatory customary laws often prevailed. Women’s statutory inheritance rights often were not respected, particularly in rural areas. Women experienced economic and social discrimination. Customary law does not consider single, divorced, or widowed women, including those with children, to be heads of households. By law men and women are entitled to family subsidies from the government, but several women’s groups complained of lack of access to these payments for women" (27).
March 30, 2023, 9:40 a.m.
Countries: Saudi Arabia
Variables: LO-PRACTICE-1

"[T]oday many business owners in Saudi Arabia are women. The government has launched several initiatives to enable SMEs to grow in Saudi Arabia. Many of these SMEs are owned by women, so this has been a real boost for all of them" (16).
March 30, 2023, 9:37 a.m.
Countries: Saudi Arabia
Variables: LO-PRACTICE-1

"While women have the right to open their own businesses in Saudi Arabia, in practice, this can be tricky. This is because you often need a business partner or a representative who is male, yet many male investors or entrepreneurs refuse to work with or engage with women…While there is no formal prohibition on women buying or renting property, it can be tricky to pull off without an approving male guardian" (17-18).
March 29, 2023, 9:35 a.m.
Countries: Congo
Variables: LO-PRACTICE-1

"Women experienced economic discrimination with respect to employment (see section 7.d.), credit, equal pay, and owning or managing businesses" (20).
March 28, 2023, 8:37 p.m.
Countries: China
Variables: LO-PRACTICE-1

"Both the controlling hukou or household registration and more ambiguous land tenure rights that regulate the allocation of rural land are supposedly gender-neutral, bestowing women with the same opportunities as men. However, the law in books differs from the law in action. The ambiguity of land use legislation and the dogmatic implementation of the hukou legislation deprive women of their chances of survival in rural China, and women become legally invisible, ignored and forgotten" (5).
March 28, 2023, 7:53 p.m.
Countries: China
Variables: LO-PRACTICE-1

"China already has a higher proportion of female workers in its economy than that seen by men in many developed countries. But that’s not all. Chinese women set up more online companies than Chinese men, and make up 64% of the world’s self-made businesswomen. This means that China is truly one of the best places in the world to be an entrepreneur as a woman. With women continuing to reduce the pay and representation gap in China, you can expect female leaders to enjoy an even more important role in Chinese business in the coming years.Domestic Chinese business is booming because of the role women play in it, with the...more
March 28, 2023, 7:42 p.m.
Countries: China
Variables: LO-PRACTICE-1

"While all entrepreneurs face significant challenges, women-led enterprises face disproportionate barriers as a result of gender-discriminatory social and cultural norms that often limit women’s mobility and social networks limiting their scope of expanding their business. Moreover, constraints on access to finance, digital access, high unpaid care burden, time poverty, lower access to productive assets, limited entrepreneurial networks, and lack of confidence in business skills are critical factors that inhibit women’s entrepreneurial journey...Though China has been one of the frontiers in digital financial inclusion, technology hasn’t yet been able to cover the financial needs of low and moderate-income people. The stereotypes and biases against women business owners are consciously or unconsciously...more
March 27, 2023, 5:30 p.m.
Countries: Niger
Variables: LO-PRACTICE-1

"Consequently during consultations, farmers and mostly women emphasized the high interest rates and lack of collateral. For both the formal banking system and microfinance, the interest rate remains high. This makes it difficult for women to access finance for their farming and business activities... The highest interest rate is observed in Niger with a rate between 20 and 25%. In addition, women generally lack collateral due to the fact that men mainly own land, and women do not have land titles that they can use as bank guarantees to apply for loans" (7).
March 27, 2023, 4:08 p.m.
Countries: Cameroon
Variables: LO-PRACTICE-1, ATFPA-PRACTICE-2

"In order to strengthen families within marriage, men are considered the head of the family. In this role, he makes decisions concerning all aspects of family and marriage life as well as the control of family property (Patriarchal family). However, legislative enactments have achieved equality between spouses in relation to decision-making, bringing-up children, divorce, inheritance, financial and matrimonial matters giving husband and wife equal powers of disposition and management of matrimonial property. In spite of the position of the law, the man in our African society remains the head and assumes his responsibility as the head of the family with some reservations" (3).
March 27, 2023, 3:49 p.m.
Countries: Cameroon
Variables: LO-PRACTICE-1, LO-LAW-1

"The customary law of Cameroon grants them access to land, but no rights to own the property. Moreover, the 1974 ordinance which establishes that registration is the only proof of ownership further complicates the situation for rural communities. But, land remains an integral part in the socio-political development of communities, and it is fundamental that women are integrated in policies with regards to land ownership since they carry out most activities on land. The country’s 1996 constitution recognizes equal rights for land ownership irrespective of sex. In reality, women in the Northwest of Cameroon are subject to a typical patriarchal system, which gives them little or no access to land....more
March 27, 2023, 3:38 p.m.
Countries: Cameroon
Variables: LO-PRACTICE-1

"The constitution provides women and men the same legal status and rights. The government, however, often did not enforce the law. In practice, women did not enjoy the same rights and privileges as men. Although local government officials claimed women had access to land in their constituencies, the overall sociocultural practice of denying women the right to own land, especially through inheritance, was prevalent in most regions. The government did not implement any official discriminatory policy against women in such areas as divorce, child custody, employment, credit, pay, owning or managing business or property, education, the judicial process, or housing" (44-45).
March 27, 2023, 2:49 p.m.
Countries: Cambodia
Variables: LO-PRACTICE-1

"The information gathered indicates that a process of adaptation of customary land rights is taking place, even if these are driven by households’ interpretation of the rules and not adopted as a collective and statutory reshaping of the kinship norms. In some of the communities where matrilineal kinship is in use, such as in Tampouan and Jarai, some of the families now include men as heirs of assets and land. This derives from the awareness that scarcity impairs young men’s ability to clear new land, and represents a serious disadvantage for them. However, women’s access, use and inheritance of land remain well established, and entitle women to exert their rights...more
March 27, 2023, 2:29 p.m.
Countries: Cambodia
Variables: LO-PRACTICE-1

"The Committee welcomes the measures adopted by the State party to improve the conditions of rural women, including by improving their access to water and sanitation and by adopting policies to promote micro, small and medium-sized enterprises as a means for women to generate income. It remains concerned, however, about reports that microfinancing institutions charge high interest rates, require land titles as collateral and target poor clients, the majority of whom are women, and that, in the event of default, the land seized is frequently of much higher value than the debt, without the difference being compensated, which leaves many rural women destitute and homeless. The Committee recommends that the...more
March 27, 2023, 2:21 p.m.
Countries: Cambodia
Variables: LO-PRACTICE-1

"With segments of the population being excluded from access to finance, there is a potential loss of deposits or savings, and investible funds capable of enhancing credit creation and capital accumulation, which results in loss of capacity in generating socio‐economic development. However, still many Cambodians do not have a formal bank account, especially those who reside in the countryside and in difficult to reach areas. This is true also and especially for women across Cambodia" (para 3).
March 23, 2023, 1:47 p.m.
Countries: Somalia
Variables: LO-PRACTICE-1, LO-LAW-1

"As a Muslim country, the supreme Islamic and legal texts used in the country, uphold that the land rights of Somali women are in principle equal to men’s rights. However, the practical application of legal and religious frameworks often falls short of protecting and promoting women’s land rights" (para 1). "An example of shifting social norms to protect women’s land rights can be seen in how there is more willingness to address land rights violations both in the traditional customary method and that of formal venues" (para 3). "We can learn from cases like this [Fatumo sued to keep her land while male relatives were claiming it was theirs] that...more
March 23, 2023, 12:09 p.m.
Countries: Chad
Variables: LO-PRACTICE-1

"Women who did not enjoy access to the same resources as men often struggled to qualify for credit based on one’s resources. Female entrepreneurs reported perceptions of slowness of administrative paperwork approval relative to male peers. Female entrepreneurs also pointed to a lack of understanding of their needs, since longstanding gender norms had also filled the ranks of local administrators with a male-heavy decision chain" (26).
March 23, 2023, 10:23 a.m.
Countries: Russia
Variables: LO-PRACTICE-1

"At recent IFC-led focus groups, Russian women entrepreneurs said they felt held back by cultural factors (questioning attitudes of male suppliers and customers), social norms (acceptance of traditional family roles), and their own skills and mind-sets (risk aversion, poor self-confidence) as well as less access to networks and resources" (para 9).
March 23, 2023, 9:50 a.m.
Countries: Chad
Variables: LO-PRACTICE-1

"Laws establishing land and property rights are nominally in force, but are functionally irrelevant to the majority of the country’s population owing to the state’s minimal presence in rural areas; customary law governs land ownership and use rights in practice" (44).
March 23, 2023, 9:40 a.m.
Countries: Chad
Variables: LO-PRACTICE-1

"Finding funding to open a business is part of the struggle, [Awatif Baroud, female entrepreneur in Chad] says. 'Chad is a very poor country, and we don’t have financial institutions to empower women in their businesses,' she adds...'Running a business as a woman is not easy. We have to work hard and face a lot of problems because of religion and society,' she says. Muslims make up more than half the population and many women are still expected to stay at home and look after the children. Most Chadian women never had the opportunity to go to school and are illiterate, according to Baroud. 'If you want to run a...more
March 22, 2023, 10:12 p.m.
Countries: Senegal
Variables: LO-PRACTICE-1, ATDW-PRACTICE-1, IAW-PRACTICE-1

"Women often do not have the right to speak when land issues are discussed and only have access to land through a father, husband or son. Women often lose this access if they are single, divorced, or widowed" (para 21). "For example, divorced women explained how they were removed from the community land registers where they were born as soon as they were married, but were unable to rejoin these land registries once they got divorced. Similarly, widows were removed from their husband's community land registers after their husbands died, but then could not reclaim access to the land registers of the communities where they were born" (para 33).more
March 22, 2023, 9:31 p.m.
Countries: Senegal
Variables: LO-PRACTICE-1, ATFPA-PRACTICE-2

"While women legally have equal access to land, traditional practices made it difficult for women to purchase property in rural areas. Many women had access to land only through their husbands, and the security of their rights depended on maintaining their relationships with their husbands. Discriminatory laws and policies also limited women’s access to and control over capital" (18).
March 22, 2023, 8:45 p.m.
Countries: Portugal
Variables: LO-PRACTICE-1, LO-LAW-1

"Women and men have equal rights to access to formal financial resources. There is no information to suggest that discrimination against women in accessing financial resources is an issue in Portugal" (9).
March 22, 2023, 6:42 p.m.
Countries: Chad
Variables: LO-PRACTICE-1

"The residential real estate market is not active in Chad. 9 454 land titles were issued in 2022, compared to 8 368 in 2021, bringing about a 11.44% increase. These titles are granted indiscriminately to both women and men. In fact, land tenure is supposed to be managed by the Single Window for fast and secure processing of files to reduce the delivery time, but the performance of this institution is poor in terms of results" (62).
March 22, 2023, 6:40 p.m.
Countries: Chad
Variables: LO-PRACTICE-1

"Women, more familiar to microfinance institutions than to formal banks, benefit from modest loans CFA1 000 000 (US$1 587)17 for the purchase of undeveloped land with maximum repayment periods of 12 months and high interest rates (2% per month or 24% per year)" (62).
March 22, 2023, 6:39 p.m.
Countries: Chad
Variables: LO-PRACTICE-1

"Even if there is no formal discrimination between men and women to access loans without prior authorization for women, their percentage for being able to access formal loans remains very low compared to that of men" (62).
March 22, 2023, 2:02 p.m.
Countries: Canada
Variables: LO-PRACTICE-1, ATDW-PRACTICE-1, ATFPA-PRACTICE-2

"[Family-law specialist Jason] Howie has seen couples with assets allocated to the primary income earner, while other assets, such as a house, went to the other. 'But lo and behold,' he says, 'they show up on our desks years later because the wife – and it usually is the wife – needs financial support and the husband’s retired.' This is not an uncommon issue among older divorcees, [certified financial planner Annie] Kvick says. Women are often particularly disadvantaged when it comes to grey divorce, given that men of older generations were often primary breadwinners and may have greater financial literacy to draw on as a result. 'I recall an older...more
March 22, 2023, 1:49 p.m.
Countries: Canada
Variables: LO-PRACTICE-1, ATDW-PRACTICE-1, ATFPA-PRACTICE-2

"'I mainly work with women' [said Jen Lawrence, divorce coach]. 'I deal a lot with situations where the husband has a big job, she has been at home, and their duties are bifurcated. She’s been hands-off the money. So there’s not a sense of how much money one actually needs to pay for a lifestyle. The other issue is, it’s so fearful. They are divorcing pretty powerful guys, so there are issues with that. And that’s not even dealing with economic abuse, such as not allowing access to bank accounts. And I deal with that as well, unfortunately.... There is so much stigma around money that [women] feel, ‘I don’t...more
March 22, 2023, 11:55 a.m.
Countries: Canada
Variables: LO-PRACTICE-1, ATFPA-PRACTICE-2

"Many Canadian women don’t feel empowered to take the lead in their family’s finances...[M]any women with young families tend to pivot their attention toward caring for the family and nurturing their careers, letting their partners take the lead on financial decisions...'You tend to abdicate those other pieces away, saying, ‘I don’t want to take the reins, let’s let somebody else take the reins,’ [Ingrid Macintosh, Vice President Wealth, Head of Sales Enablement, Marketing and Digital Strategy at TD Asset Management] says. '[For] many women starting a family and focusing on their careers, those are the things that are of highest priority, and financial literacy and investing conversations, aren’t at the...more
March 22, 2023, 11:36 a.m.
Countries: Canada
Variables: LO-PRACTICE-1, ATFPA-PRACTICE-2

"This generation of women have more money because they've been in the workforce most of their lives, but also because more of them are taking control of financial decisions...Married women dominate the female wealth pool, controlling $1.4 trillion in assets, CIBC found, based on figures from Statistics Canada. And 22 per cent of them say they make the investment decisions for their households, according to the survey by the bank. Add those married women who make financial decisions to the single, divorced and widowed women who also take care of their own assets, and 41 per cent of women have full control over their money. The figures about who holds...more
March 22, 2023, 11:30 a.m.
Countries: Canada
Variables: LO-PRACTICE-1, ATFPA-PRACTICE-2

"[W]omen have generally had less access to and control over family or household resources, relative to men—both reflecting and reinforcing their unequal opportunities for full social and economic participation in the public sphere" (2).