Publication: Changing Laws, Changing Lives: Family Law Reform as a Catalyst for Economic Prosperity
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2025-04-15
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2025-04-15
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Family law has witnessed significant global progress over the past 50 years: Since 1970, 600 million women have gained economic opportunities through family law reforms. In 1970, only 37 economies had equal family laws for men and women, but this number increased to 85 in 2024. Yet, family laws worldwide reinforce inequality, shaping power dynamics within households. In 105 economies, legal frameworks that lay out rights and responsibilities between household members still deny women equal rights in marriage, divorce, inheritance, or decision-making about family and household matters. Rooted in social norms and often dismissed as a private issue, discriminatory family laws limit women’s financial independence and access to jobs and markets, thereby reinforcing systemic disadvantages. The brief underscores that family law is not solely private but a critical public concern with profound implications for women’s labor force participation and global economic growth. It provides an overview of decades of family law reform, drawing on data from the Women, Business, and the Law project, showcasing how legal changes have strengthened women’s rights, economic opportunities, and autonomy.
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“Behr, Daniela M.; Braunmiller, Julia C.. 2025. Changing Laws, Changing Lives: Family Law Reform as a Catalyst for Economic Prosperity. Global Indicators Briefs; No. 30. © World Bank. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/43068 License: CC BY-NC 3.0 IGO.”
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