When women went to work in factories during World War II, they shattered the myth that they weren't capable of doing the same work equally manpower.

Today, though, disdain a trend towards greater equality, some countries hush ban women from certain jobs. This is particularly prevalent in industries such as manufacturing, husbandry, transportation, mining, construction, energy and water.

The Humankind Bank says there are 104 economies with labour Torah that throttle the types of jobs women crapper undertake, and when and where they are permitted to forg. It estimates that this affects the employ choices of 2.7 billion women.

The eccentric of discrimination women face varies from state to state. In 123 countries there are no laws to stop sexual molestation in education, and 59 countries don't legislate against information technology in the work. In 18 countries husbands have the legal right to keep their wives from working, patc four countries prohibit women from registering a company.

Restrictions along women's choice of work

Double: The Economist

"Men-only" occupations often include lin types deemed too dangerous or energetic for women to do. In Russia, women aren't allowed to drive trains or pilot ships.

Other types of work are thought to cost unfitting for women. In Kazakhstan, women cannot trend, eviscerate or skin oxen, pigs operating theatre other ruminants.

General safety concerns govern some limits on when women are allowed to work. Female shopkeepers in Mumbai cannot work as late as their male counterparts, and Malaysian women are not permitted to transport goods and passengers at night.

Obsolete laws linger

Some of these discriminatory Laws date from some time. The Economist points to the Business Revolution arsenic the origin of the practice of preventing women from working at Nox. In 1948, the Planetary Travail Organization still viewed night work as unsuitable for women.

Some of the Pentateuch are leftover from colonial years, with ex-colonies still enforcing either the Spanish Civil Code, the French Napoleonic Code or the British Commonwealth laws.

Other rules take up been introduced more new. In 2013, Viet Nam instituted a shun on women dynamic tractors over 50 horsepower.

'No women, no growth'

Sarah Iqbal, program manager of the IBRD's Women, Business and the Law imag, states: "Unfortunately, laws are a accurate line for men and a maze for many women around the world, and that needs to change. There is none reason to keep women out of certain jobs or prevent them from owning a business. Our message is simple: no women, no emergence."

The stick out highlights how utilization discrimination can lead to lost productivity. Every bit fit As restrictions on where and when females can work, women are less likely to establish a job in countries where in that location are no Torah protecting them from work physiological property torment. The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development estimates that half a cardinal women are without such protection.

Women are also less belik to hold leadership positions in countries where their exemption to act independently is restricted. World Bank figures suggest 850 million women accept limits on their freedom of movement.

However, things are changing and the dominant trend is towards greater equation, not fewer.

The catalyst for change in some industries is technology, Eastern Samoa advances make certain jobs safer and less dependent on musculus power.

Elsewhere, economic forces are helping to take restrictive practices. E.g., women are functioning as truck drivers in east-central European countries, pick the void left by male drivers who sought higher paying work in other parts of the EU.

Attitudes are dynamic, too. Leadership the way happening gender equality, Iceland has topped the Populace Economic Meeting place's Global Sexuality Spread Index finger for almost a decade. And countries like Republic of Bulgaria, Kiribati and Polska are removing all restrictive practices relating to grammatical gender from their laws, while Colombia and Congo have removed extraordinary discriminatory rules.