ESCWA supports member States in streamlining economic planning and coordination across ministries and partners, and acts as regional policy advisor on the use of international indices for developing effective and transformational policies.
With ISPAR, ESCWA offers technical support in identifying strengths and weaknesses related to regional and international indicators towards more effective policymaking.
The selected indicators cover competitiveness, gender, business, technology and innovation.
Gender parity has a fundamental bearing on whether or not economies and societies thrive. Developing and deploying one-half of the world’s available talent has a huge bearing on the growth, competitiveness and future-readiness of economies and businesses worldwide.
The index’s rankings, produced by WEF, offer an effective means to benchmark progress. They are designed to create global awareness of the challenges that gender gaps pose, as well as the opportunities that emerge when action is taken to reduce them.
Proportion of a country’s working-age (15–64) female population that engages actively in the labor market, either by working or looking for work. (i.e. ratio of the number of women participating in the labor force to total labor force). Labor force data doesn’t take into account workers employed abroad. It includes ILO estimates for missing data.
Response to the survey question, “In your country, for similar work, to what extent are wages for women equal to those of men?” (1 = not at all, significantly below those of men; 7 = fully, equal to those of men).
The estimated female earned income is a proxy for how much command women have over a country’s economic resources. For each country, it is computed using female and male shares of the economically active population, the ratio of the female to male wages (both sourced from (both indicators are sourced from ILO), gross domestic product valued at constant 2017 international dollars (IMF), and female and male shares of population (World Bank). The methodology used to compute this indicator is adapted from the methodology developed by the United Nations Development Program’s Human Development Report Office for computing the Gender Development Index (UNDP, 2020, page 6-7). Female and male wage measures used in the computation of the gender wage ratio correspond to the mean nominal monthly earnings of female and male employees, respectively. In the absence of wage data, a gender wage ratio of 0.75 is used in the computation of the wage bill. ILO’s measure of earning corresponds to the mean of monthly earnings of all employees in nominal terms. The earnings of employees relate to the gross remuneration in cash and in kind paid to employees, as a rule at regular intervals, for time worked or work done together with remuneration for time not worked, such as annual vacation, other type of paid leave or holidays. Earnings exclude employers’ contributions in respect of their employees paid to social security and pension schemes and also the benefits received estimated average annual earned income per capita in constant 2017 international dollars for women and men, respectively, and the ratio of the two values.
Ratio of women to men employed in senior roles, defined by the International Labor Organization as those who plan, direct, coordinate and evaluate the overall activities of enterprises, governments and other organizations, or of organizational units within them, and formulate and review their policies, laws, rules and regulations. It corresponds to Major Group 1 of the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO-08)
Ratio of women to men employed in professional and technical roles, defined by the International Labor Organization as those who increase the existing stock of knowledge, apply scientific or artistic concepts and theories or those who perform technical and related tasks that require advanced knowledge and skill. It corresponds to the sum of Major Groups 2 and 3 of the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO-08).
Percentage of the adult population (over 15 years of age) of each gender with the ability to both read and write and make simple arithmetic calculations.
Percentage of girls and boys in the official primary school age range (net rate) who are enrolled in primary education (International Standard Classification of Education [ISCED] 1)
Percentage of girls and boys in the official secondary school age range (net rate) who are enrolled in secondary education (ISCED 2 and 3). It excludes ISCED 4, which is post-secondary, non-tertiary education. Whenever data on this indicator is not available, the “Percentage of students in secondary education (ISCED 2 and 3) who are female” variable is used instead.
Total enrolment in tertiary education (gross rate), regardless of age, expressed as a percentage of the most recent five-year age cohort that has left secondary school. Tertiary education consists of ISCED levels 5 to 8, and gross enrolment data should be examined within the context of a country structure regarding military service as well as propensity of students to seek education abroad.
Sex ratio at birth refers to male births per female births. The data are 5 year averages.
Average number of years that a person of each gender can expect to live in full health, calculated by taking into account years lived in less than full health due to disease and/or injury.
Percentage of women holding parliamentary seats as a share of total parliamentary seats. In instances where a parliamentary system is bicameral, the figure used is the one for the lower house.
Percentage of women holding ministerial portfolios as a share of total ministry positions in each government. Some overlap between ministers and heads of government that also hold a ministerial portfolio may occur.
The number of years in the past fifty-year period for which a woman has held a post equivalent to an elected head of state or head of government in the country. It takes into account prime ministers and/or presidents, royalties are not considered. It takes into account prime ministers and/or presidents, and royalties are not considered.
Women, Business and the Law identifies how laws and regulations impact women’s life, and economic opportunities. The index is structured around the main elements shaping women’s life : Mobility, Workplace, Pay, Marriage, Parenthood, Entrepreneurship, Assets and Pension.
The answer is “Yes” if there are no restrictions on a woman choosing where to live. The answer is “No” if there are explicit restrictions on a woman choosing where to live, if there are legal restrictions on a woman choosing where to live, if the husband chooses the marital home or has more weight in determining where the family will live, or if a woman’s domicile automatically follows that of her husband.
The answer is “Yes” if there are no restrictions on a woman traveling alone domestically. The answer is “No” if permission, additional documentation, or the presence of her husband or guardian is required for a woman to travel alone domestically; or a woman must justify her reasons for leaving the home; or leaving the home without a valid reason is considered disobedience with legal consequences, such as loss of right to maintenance.
The answer is “Yes” if there are no gender differences in passport application procedures. The answer is “No” if an adult woman needs the permission or signature of her husband, father or other relative or guardian to apply for a passport; or passport application procedures or forms require a woman to provide details about her husband, father, or other relative or guardian; or passport application procedures or forms require a woman to provide details about her husband, father, or other relative or guardian or additional documents such as a marriage certificate and if the same is not required of a man.
The answer is “Yes” if there are no restrictions on a woman traveling alone internationally. The answer is “No” if permission, additional documentation, or the presence of her husband or a guardian is required for a woman to leave the country; or the law requires a married woman to accompany her husband out of the country if he wishes her to do so.
The answer is “Yes” if there are no restrictions on a woman’s legal capacity and ability to get a job or pursue a trade or profession. The answer is “No” if a husband can prevent his wife from working; or permission or additional documentation is required for a woman to work but not a man; or it is considered a form of disobedience with legal consequences, such as loss of maintenance, for a woman to work contrary to her husband’s wishes or the interests of the family.
The answer is "Yes" if the law prohibits employers from discriminating based on sex or gender or mandates equal treatment of women and men in employment. The answer is "No" if the law does not prohibit such discrimination or only prohibits it in one aspect of employment, such as pay or dismissal.
The answer is “Yes” if legal provisions specifically protect against sexual harassment in employment, including unwelcome verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature. The answer is “No” if there is no legislation specifically addressing sexual harassment in employment; or the law addresses harassment in general but makes no reference to acts of a sexual nature or contact; or states only that the employer has a duty to prevent sexual harassment but no provisions prohibit it or provide sanctions or other forms of redress.
The answer is “Yes” if the law establishes criminal sanctions, such as fines or imprisonment, for sexual harassment in employment; or the provision in the criminal code provides for reparation of damages for offenses covered by the code; or the law provides for civil remedies or compensation for victims of sexual harassment in employment or the workplace, even after dismissal of the victims. The answer is “No” if the law establishes neither criminal sanctions for sexual harassment in employment nor civil remedies or compensation for victims of sexual harassment in employment; or the law only prohibits sexual harassment in employment and sets forth that the employer should apply discretionary sanctions.
The answer is "Yes" if employers are legally obliged to pay equal remuneration to male and female employees who perform work of equal value in accordance with these definitions. The answer is "No" if the law limits the principle of equal remuneration to equal work, the same work, similar work or work of a similar nature; or the law limits the broad concept of “remuneration” to only basic wages or salary.
The answer is “Yes” if a woman who is not pregnant and not nursing can work at night in the same way as a man; or restrictions on women’s ability to work at night do not apply to the food retail sector; or women’s consent to work at night is required; or an employer needs to comply with safety measures. The answer is “No” if the law broadly prohibits a woman, including one with children over the age of one, from working at night or limits the hours that she can work at night; or the law gives the relevant authority the power to restrict or prohibit a woman’s ability to work at night, regardless of the content of any decisions issued by that authority.
The answer is “Yes” if no laws prohibit or restrict a woman who is not pregnant and not nursing from working in a broad and subjective category of jobs deemed hazardous, arduous, or morally inappropriate. The answer is “No” if the law prohibits or restricts a woman’s ability to work in jobs deemed hazardous, arduous, or morally inappropriate; or the relevant authority can determine whether particular jobs are too hazardous, arduous, or morally inappropriate for a woman but not for a man, regardless of the content of any decisions issued by that authority.
The answer is “Yes” if a woman who is not pregnant and not nursing can work in the mining, construction, manufacturing, energy, water, agriculture, and transportation industries in the same way as a man. The answer is “No” if the law prohibits a woman from working in any of these industries; or a woman’s employment in the relevant industries is restricted in any way, such as by prohibiting her from working at night in “industrial undertakings;” or by giving the relevant authority the power to prohibit or restrict her ability to work in certain jobs or industries, regardless of the content of any decisions issued by that authority.
The answer is "Yes" if there is no provision requiring a married woman to obey her husband. The answer is "No" if there is an explicit provision stating that a married woman must obey her husband or if disobeying the husband has legal ramifications for a married woman, such as loss of her right to maintenance.
The answer is "Yes" if there are no restrictions on a woman being head of household or head of family. The answer is "No" if the law designates the husband as head of household or stipulates that he leads the family; or a male is designated as the default family member who receives the family book or equivalent document that is needed for accessing services.
The answer is “Yes” if there is legislation addressing domestic violence that includes criminal sanctions or provides for protection orders for domestic violence. The answer is “No” if there is no legislation addressing domestic violence, if the domestic violence legislation does not provide for sanctions or protection orders, or if only a specific category of women or family member is protected; or there is only a provision that increases penalties for general crimes covered in the criminal code if committed between spouses or within the family.
The answer is “Yes” if the process to obtain a judgment of divorce is equal for a woman and a man or provides additional protections for a woman, such as prohibiting a husband from initiating divorce proceedings while his wife is pregnant. The answer is “No” if there are procedural or evidentiary differences for a woman seeking a judgment of divorce; or only a man can initiate divorce proceedings; or divorce is not legally allowed.
The answer is “Yes” if a woman and a man have equal rights to remarry. The answer is “No” if the law limits a woman’s right to remarry, such as by requiring a waiting period before remarriage to which a man is not subject; or divorce is not legally allowed.
The answer is “Yes” if mothers are legally entitled to at least 14 weeks (98 calendar days) of paid leave for the birth of a child through maternity leave, parental leave or a combination of both. The answer is “No” the law does not establish paid leave for mothers, or if the length of paid leave is less than 14 weeks.
The answer is “Yes” if leave benefits are fully administered by a government entity, including compulsory social insurance schemes (such as social security), public funds, government-mandated private insurance or employer reimbursement of any maternity leave benefits paid directly to an employee. The answer is “No” if any of the cost is shared by the employer; or contributions or taxes are mandated only for female employees, if the social insurance scheme that provides maternity leave benefits is optional, or if no paid leave is available to expectant and new mothers.
The answer is “Yes” if fathers are legally entitled to at least one day of paid paternity leave for the birth of a child, or if the law reserves a portion of paid parental leave specifically for fathers—that is, through “use-it-or-lose-it” policies or fathers’ quotas; or fathers are individually entitled to paid parental leave. The answer is “No” if the law does not guarantee fathers any paid paternity leave or other specific leave for the birth of a child; or allowances for the birth of a child must be deducted from annual or sick leave.
The answer is “Yes” if parents are legally entitled to some form of full-time paid parental leave, either shared between mother and father (at least two weeks) or as an individual entitlement that each can take regardless of the other (at least one week each); or the duration of paid maternity leave and paid paternity leave is the same. The answer is “No” if the law does not mandate any form of paid parental leave.
he answer is “Yes” if the law explicitly prohibits the dismissal of pregnant women, if pregnancy cannot serve as grounds for termination of a contract, or if dismissal of pregnant workers is considered a form of unlawful termination, unfair dismissal, or wrongful discharge. The answer is “No” if there are no provisions prohibiting the dismissal of pregnant workers, or if the law only prohibits the dismissal of pregnant workers during maternity leave, for a limited period of the pregnancy, or when their pregnancy results in illness or disability.
The answer is “Yes” if the law prohibits discrimination by creditors based on sex or gender or prescribes equal access for both men and women when conducting financial transactions or entrepreneurial activities, or if the law prohibits gender discrimination when accessing goods and services. The answer is “No” if the law does not prohibit such discrimination or if the law does not provide for effective remedies.
The answer is “Yes” if a woman obtains full legal capacity upon reaching the age of majority and there are no restrictions on her signing legally binding contracts. The answer is “No” if a woman has limited legal capacity to sign a contract or needs the signature, consent, or permission of her husband or guardian to do so.
The answer is “Yes” if there are no restrictions on a woman registering a business. The answer is “No” if a woman has limited legal capacity to register a business, including situations in which she needs her husband’s or guardian’s permission, signature or consent to register a business.; or the registration process at any stage requires a woman to provide additional information or documentation that is not required of a man.
The answer is “Yes” if there are no restrictions on a woman opening a bank account. The answer is “No” if a woman has limited legal capacity or is required to provide any additional permission or documentation that is not required of a man; or legal provisions limit the ability of a woman to open a bank account, such as stating that only a married woman who is separately employed from her husband may open a bank account in her own name.
The answer is “Yes” if there are no restrictions on women’s legal capacity and rights to immovable property. The answer is “No” if women's rights to own or administer property are legally restricted, or if there are gender differences in the legal treatment of spousal property, such as granting the husband administrative control of marital property, or for cases in which customary law is prevalent, if there is no statutory law that recognizes equal property rights.
The answer is “Yes” if sons and daughters have the same rights to inherit assets from their parents. The answer is “No” if there are gender-based differences in the recognition of children as heirs to property .
The answer is “Yes” if surviving spouses of either gender with no living children have the same inheritance rights. The answer is “No” if there are gender-based differences in the inheritance rights of surviving spouses.
The answer is “Yes” if spouses retain administrative power over those assets each brought to the marriage or acquired during marriage, and their accrued value, without the need for spousal consent; or spouses administer their separate property, but for major transactions, such as selling or pledging the property as collateral, spousal consent is required or if both spouses have equal rights in the administration and transaction of joint property. The answer is “No” if the husband has administrative rights over all property, including any separate property of the wife, or if the husband's word prevails in case of disagreement; or customary law (which often discriminates against women) is prevalent, if there is no statutory law that recognizes equal property administration.
The answer is “Yes” if there is an explicit legal recognition of such contributions and the law provides for equal or equitable division of the property or the transfer of a lump sum to the stay-at-home spouse based on nonmonetary contributions; or the default marital property regime is full community, partial community, or deferred community of property because these regimes implicitly recognize nonmonetary contributions at the time of property division and benefit both spouses regardless of who purchased the property or holds title to it. The answer is “No” if the default marital property regime is not a form of community of property and there is no explicit legal provision providing for equal or equitable division of property based on nonmonetary contributions.
The answer is “Yes” if the statutory age at which men and women can retire and receive an irrevocable minimum old-age pension is the same. The answer is “No” if there is a difference in the statutory age or if there is no mandatory pension scheme implemented for private sector workers.
The answer is “Yes” if the age at which men and women can retire and receive partial pension benefits is the same or if the age at which men and women can retire and receive partial benefits is not mandated. The answer is “No” if the age at which men and women can retire and receive partial pension benefits is different or if there is no mandatory pension scheme implemented for private sector workers.
The answer is “Yes” if the legally established age at which men and women must retire is the same or if there is no mandatory retirement age. The answer is “No” if the age at which men and women must retire is different.
The answer is “Yes” if pension contributions are paid or credited during maternity or parental leave or the leave period is considered a qualifying period of employment used for the purpose of calculating pension benefits; or there are mechanisms to compensate for any contribution gaps and to ensure that the leave period does not reduce the assessment base or pension amounts or if there are no mandatory contributory pension schemes, but there is a noncontributory universal social pension conditioned on noncontributory requirements with no means test attached. The answer is “No” if there are no compensating pension arrangements for periods of childcare or if there is no mandatory contributory pension scheme for private sector workers and no noncontributory universal social pension.
Women, Peace, and Security Index provides important insights into patterns and progress on women’s status and empowerment around the world in the three dimensions inclusion, justice, and security using 13 indicators.
Average number of years of education received by women ages 25 and older, converted from educational attainment using official durations of each level.
The percentage of women ages 15 and older who reported having an account alone or jointly at a bank or another type of financial institution or personally using a mobile money service.
The number of employed women ages 25–64, expressed as a percentage of the total female population in that age group
The percentage of women ages 15 years and older responding 'Yes' to Gallup World Poll question' Do you have a mobile phone that you use to make and receive personal calls?
The percentage of seats held by women in lower and upper houses of national parliaments.
The absence of legal discrimination indicator measures the degree (0 to 100) to which the laws and regulations differentiate between women and men, or protect womens opportunities, across 35 aspects of life and work.
Ratio of male births per female births
Percentage of males ages 15 years and older who responded 'No' to the Gallup World Poll question' Is it acceptable any woman in your family to have paid jobs outside their home if she wants one?
Extent (on a scale of 0–4) to which women are able to exercise justice by bringing cases before the courts without risk to their personal safety, participating in a free trial, and seeking redress if public authorities violate their rights
Number of maternal deaths due to pregnancy- related causes per 100,000 live births
Percentage of females ages 15 years and older who responded 'Yes' to the Gallup World Poll question' Do you feel safe walking alone at night in the city or area where you live?
The percentage of women who experienced physical or sexual violence committed by their intimate partner 12 months preceding the survey from which the information is gathered.
Total number of battle deaths from state and non-state, or one-sided conflicts per 100,000 people. State-based conflict is armed conflict between two states or between a state and rebel groups or militias or between groups with different ethnic, clan, or religious identification. One-sided violence is use of armed force by the government or a formally organized group against civilians.
Percentage of women and girls ages 15 and older who responded “Yes” to the Gallup World Poll question “Do you feel safe walking alone at night in the city or area where you live?”
Number of civilian- targeting events in which women or girls are the primary target of the violence, expressed as the number of events per 100,000 women
Percentage of women who lived within 50 kilometers of at least one armed conflict event during the period 2021–2022
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