Women, business and the law examineswhere economies provide legal protection for women and girlsin areas such as child marriage, domestic violence, andmarital rape. It also collects data on remedies, such as theexistence and scope of protection orders for victims ofdomestic violence. Violence thwarts women’s economicempowerment by limiting their ability to exercise agency andmake choices. Violence against women and girls both reflectsand reinforces inequalities between women and men. Where agirl can be legally married before she turns 18, she hasless opportunity to make choices about her future. Where awoman suffers abuse from her husband, her health andpsychological well-being are threatened and her capacity towork and function socially are impaired. If she is not ableto work, she is forced into a subordinate position, bothpsychologically and economically, and the cycle of violencepersists. Legal protection is crucial to reduce impunity andopen avenues for redress. Yet Women, Business and the Lawfinds persisting gaps in laws protecting women fromviolence. Countries are increasingly protecting girls andwomen from violence. For example, between 2013 and 2015,Kenya, Luxembourg, Nicaragua, and Uruguay all raised the ageof marriage for girls. Tonga’s 2013 Family Protection Actexplicitly criminalizes marital rape. Georgia has amendedits criminal code to expand the grounds of liability fordomestic crimes, including rape, to spouses and other familymembers. Moreover, it reformed the Law on the Elimination ofDomestic Violence to provide for removal of the perpetratorfrom the home. In its new penal code, Mozambique has amendedArticle 400, which had been in place since 1886 and allowedcharges to be dropped if a rapist married his victim. AndBelarus, Lebanon, Papua New Guinea, and Tonga adopted newlaws on domestic violence that provide for protectionorders. While there has clearly been progress, major gapsstill need to be addressed. That Malawi and 8 othereconomies have raised the marital age shows movement in apositive direction. The adoption in the past 2 years of newdomestic violence laws in some economies and morecomprehensive provisions in others worldwide is also atelling indication of progress. But more is needed. Amongthe priorities of the new Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs) are ‘eliminating all forms of violence against womenand girls in the public and private spheres’ and‘eliminating all harmful practices, such as child, early andforced marriage,’ which recognize the need for enhancedlegal protection for girls and women worldwide.International and regional commitments and instruments pavethe way for change. And while the existence of more andbetter laws is a critical first step, better enforcement ofthe law is necessary to ensure protection for women. Onlywhen women and girls are fully protected from violence willthey be able to enjoy the same autonomy, freedom, andopportunities as men.
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