Saudi Arabia named most improved economy for gender equality: World Bank Report

Saudi Arabia named most improved economy for gender equality: World Bank Report

Saudi Arabia's economy made the biggest progress globallytoward gender equality since 2017, according to a World Bank reportreleased Wednesday.

The World Bank's "Women, Business and the Law 2020" study,which tracks how laws affect women in 190 economies, scored Saudi Arabia'seconomy 70.6 points out of 100, a dramatic increase from its previous score of31.8 points.

Saudi Arabia was the country to make "the biggestimprovement globally" since 2017 according to the World Bank pressrelease, including advances in women's mobility, sexual harassment, retirementage and economic activity.

The study found the Kingdom enacted reforms in six out ofeight indicators associated with women's economic empowerment, from June 2017to September 2019.

Amendments were adopted to protect women from discriminationin employment, to prohibit employers from dismissing a woman during herpregnancy and maternity leave, and to prohibit gender-based discrimination inaccessing financial services.

Saudi Arabia "also equalized the retirement age for womenand men at 60 years, extending women's working lives, earnings, andcontributions."

Under the study's mobility indicator, which measures awoman's freedom of movement, Saudi Arabia also made significant strides due tochanges in guardianship laws.

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