Years with above-average temperatures are associated with delays in advancing women’s legal rights, particularly in lower-income countries. A comprehensive study covering data from 1970 to 2023 across 190 economies reveals that abnormal heat disrupts progress on legal reforms that support gender equality. The impact is most pronounced in nations where public resources are already strained, as extreme weather events divert government attention and funding toward immediate crisis response rather than long-term structural changes. n nThe research draws on the World Bank’s Women, Business and the Law (WBL) index, which measures legal protections for women, alongside detailed climate records. It shows that while excessive rainfall has minimal influence, unusually hot years correlate with a measurable decline in reform momentum. Specifically, in low-income settings, each one-unit rise in temperature anomaly corresponds to a 1.5-point reduction in the WBL score—a metric ranging from 0 to 100. The setbacks are even steeper for reforms requiring significant financial investment, such as those improving access to employment or easing parental leave policies, which see a 3.1-point drop. n nThese delays are not short-lived. The effects linger for multiple years, particularly affecting key areas like marriage regulations, parental rights, and freedom of movement. In contrast, less expensive legal adjustments—such as eliminating formal restrictions on women’s work—are more likely to proceed despite climatic stress. This suggests that fiscal pressure, rather than a lack of political will alone, drives the slowdown. n nThe findings highlight how climate variability can indirectly undermine inclusive development by reshaping policy agendas. As global temperatures rise, the risk grows that hard-won gains in gender equity could be eroded—not through deliberate rollback, but through postponed action. n— news from World Bank Blogs
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When the heat rises, progress on women’s economic empowerment cools
Hotter-than-usual years can slow or derail advances in women’s legal rights. A new analysis spanning five decades finds that temperature anomalies—years significantly hotter than a country’s historical norm—are associated with slower gains in legal equality for women, especially in low-income settings. The logic is simple but consequential: extreme-weather events tend to strain budgets and institutions, prompting governments to postpone the most fiscally demanding reforms. The result is a drag on women’s economic empowerment. n nDo rising temperatures alter the trajectory of legal reforms that expand women’s rights and economic opportunities? n nClimate change can interact with both women’s legal rights and the broader effects on women, creating feedback loops that influence policy priorities. Our study bridges two established facts: legal equality is foundational for inclusive growth and resilience; and extreme-weather events disrupt economies, squeeze public finances, and heighten pressure for short-term relief. The core question is whether such events also re-order policy priorities in ways that slow progress on women’s legal rights. n nWhat the data show n nUsing the World Bank’s Women, Business and the Law (WBL) database for 190 economies from 1970–2023, combined with high-resolution temperature and precipitation data, four findings stand out: n nHeat matters more than rain. Hotter-than-normal years slow gains in women’s legal equality, while rainfall shocks show little effect. n nEffects are income dependent. Climate events reduce women’s legal progress in low-income countries but show no significant impact in higher-income ones. n nCostly reforms stall first. Resource-intensive reforms are the first to be deprioritized while lower-cost reforms (like removing restrictions on women’s rights) continue, largely unaffected. n nLong-lasting setbacks. Higher temperatures can have persistent effects in areas central to women’s economic participation and resilience. n nHow big are the effects? In low-income countries, a one-unit increase in temperature anomaly is associated with a 1.5-point lower WBL index score (on a 0–100 scale). The effect is concentrated in costly reforms (−3.1 points)—those that expand women’s access to economic opportunities and demand substantial fiscal resources and administrative capacity, rather than reforms that simply remove discriminatory laws. This setback also persists for several years. Hotter-than-usual years drive these delays in Parenthood, Marriage, and Mobility reforms, whereas rainfall shocks show little effect (Figure 1).