by tak18 | Nov 17, 2023
Female unemployment rates are more than just numbers – they tell us stories about economies, societies, and opportunities. As we explore the data from Japan and Iraq, we witness a stark contrast. Japan, with its robust policies and reforms, presents one of the lowest female unemployment rates globally. Conversely, Iraq faces challenges, reflected in its significantly higher rates.
This dashboard delves into not only the ‘what’ and ‘the ‘how’ but also the ‘why’ behind these figures. Through interactive visualizations, we examine the Women, Business, and the Law (WBL) Index, which provides insights into the legal and regulatory barriers affecting women’s economic participation in each country.
In Japan, a series of targeted reforms over the years – collectively known as “Womenomics” – have aimed to boost female participation in the workforce. Policies like extended maternity leave, equal pay for equal work, and company governance codes that favor diversity are not just social justice measures; they are strategic economic tools. As you navigate the dashboard, observe the correlation between Japan’s high WBL score and its low female unemployment rate.
Turning to Iraq, we see potential in the form of untapped economic and social contributions of women. The dashboard reveals Iraq’s lower WBL score, highlighting areas for improvement. The Women, Business, and the Law (WBL) Index is an insightful composite measure developed by the World Bank to understand how legal and regulatory barriers affect women’s economic opportunities across 190 economies. It scores countries based on eight indicators that span the arc of a woman’s working life: mobility, workplace, pay, marriage, parenthood, entrepreneurship, assets, and pension. Legal changes in property rights, business laws, and gender equality could be the catalysts Iraq needs to emulate Japan’s success and drive down its high female unemployment rate.
We invite you to interact with the visualizations to understand the depth of these issues. By comparing these countries, we see a narrative unfold: Legal reform is more than a gender issue; it’s a foundation of economic development. We learn that by increasing the WBL index through intentional, targeted reforms, countries like Iraq can not only empower women but also drive broader economic growth.
As you explore the dashboard, think about the lives and ambitions behind these numbers. What lessons can Iraq adopt from Japan’s model? Where does the potential for reform lie, and how can it be realized? This is not just data – it is a call to action for policy-makers, stakeholders, and communities to destroy barriers and pave the way for gender equality in the workforce.
by ltb03 | Nov 22, 2022
*SDG5.3
*Fight for Education and Knowledge, Help END Child Marriage
While 96% of countries have laws that identify the legal age for marriage, there are still countries that do not specify a minimum age and most are African countries. According to the UN, even some countries that do have laws grant exemptions using courts or parental permission that allow minors to wed. Early marriage not only exposes girls to sexual exploitation and violence, but it also denies their right of education and future opportunities.
There are still a lot of countries with very low education levels for women, most of which are African countries. These same countries also have a very high early marriage rate for women (age below 18).
There exists a strong correlation between early marriage of women and women educational level.
Early marriage should stop in all countries, especially countries suffering from a low level of education for women.
So, what is the solution?
The best way to tackle the problem on the short run is to enforce laws and policies that prohibit people under a specified age (at least 18) from getting married, and which allow no exceptions. Another suitable solution is to raise general awareness of the issue and its massive effects. This could be done by inviting women and parents with changed views and victims of early marriage to speak of the matter. And finally, we should work on reducing sexism and promoting gender equality by empowering women and integrating them in public activities and politics.
To validate this solution, Bangladesh followed such an approach in 2017 by enforcing a Child Marriage Restraint Act that set the minimum age of marriage for women at 18 and for men at 21. This act positively influenced the overall educational level of women where the average female enrollment in secondary schools increased from 75.22% in 2017 to 81.5% in 2020 as you can see in the figure below .
African countries have long struggled with poverty and are still struggling until this very day. While policies can be set to reduce early marriage on the short run, the challenge is in decreasing poverty which is often the reason why families marry off their daughters in the first place and the reason why parents prefer rich sons-in-law to assist them financially.
Use the below visual for an interactive experience:
Done by: Lara Baltaji
