“Invisible Barriers” and Discriminatory Laws to Delay Women’s Economic Equality by 286 Years

Despite progress, no country has managed to close the legal gaps between men and women. Discriminatory laws and social norms still persist, hindering women’s progress and affecting critical issues such as access to property, labor market conditions, or starting a business. This is pointed out by UN Women, which asserts that “invisible barriers” will hinder economic equality for 286 years. Currently, only 4% of women worldwide live in economies that offer near-full legal equality, according to the World Bank.

This is the main theme of this year’s 70th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City. More than 8,000 people from government officials to civil society advocates are meeting to assess the global gender agenda.