Empowering Women by Balancing the Law

Unlocking opportunity for women and girls is an urgent imperative. It is a matter of fairness and justice; a principle of international law recognized in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It is also essential for development and a precondition to end poverty on a livable planet. Growing evidence shows that removing barriers for women unlocks economic productivity, job creation, and poverty reduction, deepens social cohesion, and enhances well-being and prosperity for current and future generations.

Despite progress, however, women globally enjoy fewer than two-thirds the legal rights of men, with no country providing full legal equality. Structural barriers in law and practice limit women’s participation in decision-making, justice systems, and the economy, including access to quality jobs, income and assets, and enabling services such as childcare, digital, energy, and finance. Legal gaps and weak enforcement undermine women's potential, inclusive economic growth and sustainable development.

Legal reform — when inclusive, enforceable, and accompanied by awareness raising and capacity building — is a catalytic driver for women’s empowerment and equitable growth.

Empowering Women by Balancing the Law (EWBL) is an initiative launched by the World Bank’s Legal Vice Presidency to be a global center of excellence for legal and judicial solutions that are responsive to the needs and views of women.

Our work supports the improvement and effective implementation of policy, laws, regulatory frameworks and the institutions of justice that support women’s economic empowerment and sustainable development through on-demand advisory services, actionable knowledge products, and strategic capacity-building. Our approach includes:

1. Diagnostics & Consultation
2. Reform & Implementation
3. Capacity Building & Learning

Interested in improving the legal and enabling environment for women?

Request Advisory Support Here

Knowledge Resources

EWBL curates comparative legal analysis, practical tools, training materials, and evidence from our advisory work to help policymakers, practitioners, and partners translate legal commitments into meaningful change for women and girls. Explore our materials to learn from global experience and access actionable insights that inform reform design, implementation, and capacity‑building.

Partner with Us!

EWBL’s unique platform invites partners to contribute to the World Bank’s global gender equality agenda. By leveraging the reach and capabilities of international partners in the public and private sectors, as well as connected initiatives within the World Bank, EWBL offers reliable support for countries’ efforts to promote legal equality. External partners include law firms, NGOs, think-tanks, corporations, foundations, international organizations, and other entities that have synergy with EWBL's goals. Contact us to get involved.

Team Members

• Francesca Daverio, Senior Counsel, Legal Advisory Services & Knowledge
• Paula Tavares, Counsel & Senior Gender Specialist, Legal Advisory Services & Knowledge

 

www.worldbank.org/EWBL