Nepal comes top in South Asia in closing gender gaps

© Getty KATHMANDU, NEPAL – OCTOBER 10 – Asian street life. One of the crowded streets on October 10, 2011 in Kathmandu Nepal.As per the eighth series of the annual study entitled “Women, Business and the Law 2022”, India scored 74.4 points, followed by the Maldives (73.8), Bhutan (71.9), Sri Lanka (65.6), Pakistan (55.6), Bangladesh (49.4) and Afghanistan (38.1) in closing the gaps between women and men in opportunities and outcomes.

Women, Business and the Law 2022 identifies the laws and regulations that restrict women’s economic opportunity in 190 economies. The index tracks the basics of movement in the community to the challenges of working, parenting and retiring. The data in Women, Business and Law 2022 are current as of October 1, 2021.

According to the report, the index score starts from 26.3 with the highest score being 100. A score of 100 means that women are on an equal legal standing with men across all areas measured.

It measures eight indicators-mobility, workplace, pay, marriage, parenthood, entrepreneurship, assets and pension.

According to the report, Nepal scored 100 out of 100 in three indicators. The country scored 100 points in workplace (that analyses laws affecting women’s decisions to work), 100 in pay (laws and regulations affecting women’s pay) and 100 in marriage (legal constraints related to marriage).

Nepal scored 75 in mobility (constraints on freedom of movement), 75 in entrepreneurship (constraints on women’s starting and running businesses) and 75 in pension (laws affecting the size of a woman’s pension).

The country scored 80 points in assets (that considers gender differences in property and inheritance).

There are some areas where Nepal has performed poorly towards closing gender-based gaps.

According to the report, Nepal scored 40 points in parenthood (that examines laws affecting women’s work after having children).

Under parenthood, the report has pointed out a lack of paid maternity leave of at least 14 weeks, government-administered maternity leave benefits, or paid parental leave.

The score for entrepreneurship is 75 because the law does not prohibit gender-based discrimination in access to credit.

“Unless women reach decision-making levels, the laws and regulations always impact women’s economic opportunities,” senior advocate Sabita Bhandari Baral of Nepal Law Firm told the Post. “Males are still at the decision-making level and female participation is still lacking.”

There is still a wide wage gap between female and male workers, according to a report published by the Central Bureau of Statistics in 2021.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from EKantipur.com.

Nepal comes top in South Asia in closing gender gaps (msn.com)