In some countries, women still don’t have the same freedom to work as men

Unfortunately, that’s not the case everywhere.

The map highlights the countries where women had legal restrictions on their rights to work in formal employment in 2023. All are in the Middle East, North Africa, or Sub-Saharan Africa.

These restrictions can include the need for permission or documentation from a male family member — such as a husband or brother — to work, or legal consequences if they don’t follow working restrictions.

While nearly 20 countries still have these legal barriers for women, this number was much larger in the past: in 1970, it was almost 70.

This data only reflects legal restrictions on working rights. In other countries, strong social or cultural pressures still mean that women are less likely to be in formal employment than men, even if they’re legally allowed to.

Explore more data on female participation in the workforce →

Where this page came from

This page was imported from Our World in Data. “In some countries, women still don’t have the same freedom to work as men” by Hannah Ritchie, published by Our World in Data under CC BY 4.0. Changed here: set as a page, its interactive charts shown as pictures. Data from third parties keeps its own licence.

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