SIGI 2020 Regional Report for Latin America and the Caribbean

Annex B. Social Institutions and Gender Index methodology

The Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) covers four dimensions, spanning major socio-economic areas that affect the entire lifetimes of women and girls (Figure A B.1):

• The “Discrimination in the family” dimension captures social institutions that limit women’s decision-making power and undervalue their status in the household and the family.

• The “Restricted physical integrity” dimension captures social institutions that increase women’s and girls’ vulnerability to multiple forms of violence and limit their control over their bodies and reproductive autonomy.

• The “Restricted access to productive and financial resources” dimension captures women’s restricted access to, and control over, critical productive and economic resources and assets.

• The “Restricted civil liberties” dimension captures discriminatory laws and practices restricting women’s access to, and participation and voice in, the public and social spheres.

Figure A B.1. The composition of the SIGI 2019

Source: (OECD, n.d.[35]), Social Institutions and Gender Index, www.genderindex.org.

Each dimension builds on four indicators. In theory, each indicator builds on a combination of three variables: the first variable aims to measure the level of discrimination in formal and informal laws, while the second and the third variables aim to measure the level of discrimination in social norms and practices, respectively. The variables used as proxies for each indicator depend on data availability and reliability, and on country coverage. For example, some variables are not available at all (such as information on the social acceptance of discriminatory inheritance practices), and some variables are only available for a few countries (such as the time spent on unpaid care work).

Consequently, discrepancies exist between the theoretical framework and the variables effectively included in the SIGI 2019. Overall, the SIGI framework builds on 27 core variables:

• Fourteen categorical variables describe the level of discrimination in legal frameworks (available for all SIGI indicators but two: missing women and female genital mutilation). These variables are based on 144 questions out of the 312 used to draft the SIGI country profiles.

• Three attitudinal variables describe the level of discrimination in social norms.

• Ten variables on prevalence rates describe the level of discrimination in practices.

Aggregation and construction of the index

The variables, indicators, dimensions and, ultimately, the SIGI are built according to the steps below.

Step 1: Building the Gender, Institutions and Development Database

Quantitative variables: Truncating data at the equality benchmark and inverting the scale

Quantitative data are collected and harmonised to be comparable across countries/territories. Data sources vary according to the country/territory and the variable. For example, the prevalence of child marriage among girls is collected through the UN World Marriage Database, while the proportion of women members of parliament is based on the Inter-Parliamentary Union Database.

All the SIGI components (variables, indicators, dimensions and index) range from 0, indicating no discrimination, to 100, indicating absolute discrimination:

• For some variables, equality is reached at 50 instead of 100. Equality in political representation, for example, is achieved when 50% of MPs are women. Therefore, countries/territories where 50% or more of their MPs are female have a score of 0.

• For some other variables, the scale from no discrimination to absolute discrimination may be inverted to fit with the 0‑100 scale.

Qualitative variables: Assigning a score

The qualitative legal information detailed in the SIGI country profiles is quantified using a coding manual based on a 5‑level scale (0, 25, 50, 75 and 1) (Table A B.1).

Table A B.1. Scoring methodology for legal variables

	Score assigned
The legal framework provides women with the same rights as men, with no exceptions, and applies to all groups of women. There are no customary, religious or traditional practices or laws that discriminate against women.	0
The legal framework provides women with the same rights as men, with no exceptions, and applies to all groups of women. However, some customary, religious or traditional practices or laws do discriminate against women.	25
The legal framework provides women with the same rights as men. However, it foresees exceptions, or does not apply to all groups of women.	50
The legal framework restricts some women’s rights.	75
The legal framework fully discriminates against women’s rights.	1

Source: (OECD, n.d.[35]), Social Institutions and Gender Index, www.genderindex.org.

Step 2: Building the indicators

The variables composing each indicator are aggregated using the SIGI aggregation formula.

Some indicators are based on one variable, while others are based on several. In the latter case, the indicator is calculated only if all variables are assigned a value.

For example, for the “Violence against women” (VAW) indicator, the aggregation is:

$VAW = \ln \left({\frac{1}{3}e}^{Laws on VAW}+ {\frac{1}{3}e}^{Attitudes towards domestic violence}+ {\frac{1}{3}e}^{Prevalence of domestic violence}\right)$

Step 3: Building the dimensions

The indicators composing each dimension are aggregated using the SIGI aggregation formula.

The dimensions aim to provide a summary measure of each area of discrimination. The dimension is calculated only if all indicators are assigned a value.

For example, for the dimension “Discrimination in the family” (DF), the aggregation is:

$DF = \ln \left({\frac{1}{4}e}^{Child marriage}+ {\frac{1}{4}e}^{Household responsibilities}+ {\frac{1}{4}e}^{Inheritance}+ {\frac{1}{4}e}^{Divorce}\right)$

Step 4: Building the SIGI

The SIGI is calculated only if all dimensions are assigned a value, using the same aggregation formula.

$SIGI = \ln \left({\frac{1}{4}e}^{DF}+ {\frac{1}{4}e}^{RPI}+ {\frac{1}{4}e}^{RAPFR}+ {\frac{1}{4}e}^{RCL}\right)$

Definition of the variables

Table A B.2. Variables used in the analysis and the construction of the SIGI 2019

Variable	Coding	Sources
DISCRIMINATION IN THE FAMILY
Child marriage
Laws on child marriage (S) Whether the same minimum legal age for marriage applies to both women and men	0: The law guarantees the same minimum legal age for marriage at 18 years for both women and men, without legal exceptions regarding consent or for some groups of women. Customary, religious or traditional practices or laws do not encourage child marriage among girls.	SIGI country profiles
	0.25: The minimum legal age for marriage might be different for men and women, but they must be at least 18 years old, without legal exceptions regarding consent or for some groups of women. Some customary, religious or traditional practices or laws encourage child marriage among girls.
	0.5: The minimum legal age for marriage might be different for men and women, but it is over the age of 18 years. However, legal exceptions exist concerning consent and/or some groups of women.
	0.75: The law allows child marriage for both women and men, or there is no minimum legal age for marriage for either women or men.
	1: The law allows child marriage for women but not for men.
Prevalence of child marriage among girls (S) Percentage of girls aged 15‑19 years who have been or are still married, divorced, widowed or in an informal union	0‑100%	UN World Marriage Data (2017)
Prevalence of child marriage among boys Percentage of boys aged 15‑19 years who have been or are still married, divorced, widowed or in an informal union	0‑100%	UN World Marriage Data (2017)
Household responsibilities
Laws governing household responsibilities (S) Whether women and men have the same legal rights, decision-making abilities and responsibilities within the household	0: Women enjoy the same legal rights and decision-making freedoms and responsibilities within the household as men, without legal exceptions for any groups of women. Customary, religious or traditional practices or laws do not discriminate against women’s legal rights.	SIGI country profiles
	0.25: Women enjoy the same legal rights and decision-making freedoms and responsibilities within the household as men, without legal exceptions for any groups of women. However, customary, religious or traditional practices or laws discriminate against women’s legal rights.
	0.5: Either not all groups of women enjoy the same legal rights and decision-making freedoms and responsibilities within the household as men, or there is no law regulating household headship.
	0.75: Women do not enjoy the same legal rights as men either to be recognised as the head of household or to have parental authority.
	1: Women do not enjoy the same legal rights as men to be recognised as the head of household and to have parental authority.
Attitude towards housewives Percentage of the population aged over 18 years that thinks that “Being a housewife is just as fulfilling as working for pay”	0‑100%	International Social Survey Programme World Values Survey
Attitude towards women earning money Percentage of the population aged over 18 years that agrees or strongly agrees that “If a woman earns more money than her husband, it is almost certain to cause problems”	0‑100%	International Social Survey Programme World Values Survey
Attitude towards working mothers (*) Percentage of the population aged over 18 years that agrees or strongly agrees that “When a mother works for pay, the children suffer”	0‑100%	International Social Survey Programme World Values Survey
Women’s and men’s share of unpaid care work responsibility (*) Female-to-male ratio of time spent on unpaid, domestic, care and volunteer work in a 24‑hour period		Various sources1
Women’s contribution to unpaid care work Women’s average time spent (in hours) on unpaid domestic, care and voluntary work in a 24‑hour period		Various sources1
Men’s contribution to unpaid care work Men’s average time spent (in hours) on unpaid domestic, care and voluntary work in a 24‑hour period		Various sources1
Inheritance
Laws on inheritance (S) Whether women and men have the same legal rights to inherit land and non-land assets	0: Widows and daughters enjoy the same rights as widowers and sons to inherit land and non-land assets. This applies to all groups of women. Customary, religious or traditional practices or laws do not discriminate against women’s inheritance rights.	SIGI country profiles
	0.25: Widows and daughters enjoy the same rights as widowers and sons to inherit land and non-land assets. This applies to all groups of women. However, there are some customary, religious or traditional practices or laws that discriminate against women’s inheritance rights.
	0.5: Widows and daughters enjoy the same rights as widowers and sons to inherit land and non-land assets. However, this does not apply to all groups of women.
	0.75: Either widows or daughters do not enjoy the same rights as widowers and sons to inherit land and/or non-land assets.
	1: Neither widows nor daughters enjoy rights to inherit land and/or non-land assets.
Divorce
Laws on divorce (S) Whether women and men have the same legal rights to initiate divorce, with the same grounds and evidential requirements for divorce or annulment	0: Women have both the same rights to initiate divorce and have the same requirements to finalise divorce or annulment as men, without negative repercussions on their parental authority. This applies to all groups of women. Customary, religious or traditional practices or laws do not discriminate against women regarding divorce or their parental authority after divorce.	SIGI country profiles
	0.25: Women have both the same rights to initiate divorce and the same requirements to finalise divorce or annulment as men, without negative repercussions on their parental authority. This applies to all groups of women. However, there are some customary, religious or traditional practices or laws that discriminate against women regarding divorce and/or their parental authority after divorce.
	0.5: Women have both the same rights to initiate divorce and the same requirements to finalise divorce or annulment as men, without negative repercussions on their parental authority. However, this does not apply to all groups of women.
	0.75: Women do not have the same rights regarding divorce as men: either their rights to initiate divorce and/or their requirements to finalise divorce or annulment are unequal, or their parental authority after divorce is restricted.
	1: Women do not have the same rights regarding divorce as men: their rights to initiate divorce and/or the requirements to finalise divorce or annulment are unequal, and their parental authority after divorce is restricted.
RESTRICTED PHYSICAL INTEGRITY
Violence against women
Laws on violence against women (S) Whether the legal framework protects women from violence – including intimate partner violence, rape and sexual harassment – without legal exceptions and through a comprehensive approach	0: The legal framework protects women from violence – including intimate partner violence, rape and sexual harassment – without any legal exceptions and through a comprehensive approach.	SIGI country profiles
	0.25: The legal framework protects women from violence – including intimate partner violence, rape and sexual harassment – without any legal exceptions. However, the approach is not comprehensive.
	0.5: The legal framework protects women from violence, including intimate partner violence, rape and sexual harassment. However, there are some legal exceptions.
	0.75: The legal framework protects women from some forms of violence, including intimate partner violence, rape, or sexual harassment, but not all.
	1: The legal framework does not protect women from any form of violence: neither, intimate partner violence nor rape nor sexual harassment.
Attitude towards domestic violence (S) Percentage of women aged 15‑49 years who consider a husband to be justified in hitting or beating his wife for at least one of the specified reasons: if his wife burns food, argues with him, goes out without telling him, neglects the children, or refuses to engage in sexual intercourse with him	0‑100%	Pan American Health Organization (2014) UNICEF global databases (2017) World Health Organization World Values Survey (2005‑16)
Lifetime prevalence of domestic violence (S) Percentage of women who have suffered intimate partner physical and/or sexual violence during their lifetime	0‑100%	Various sources2
Prevalence of domestic violence in the last 12 months Percentage of women who have suffered intimate partner physical and/or sexual violence in the previous 12 months	0‑100%	Various sources2
Female genital mutilation
Attitude towards female genital mutilation (S) Percentage of women aged 15‑49 years who have heard about female genital mutilation and think the practice should continue	0‑100%	UNICEF Global Databases (2017)
Prevalence of female genital mutilation (S) Percentage of women aged 15‑49 years who have undergone female genital mutilation	0‑100%	UNICEF Global Databases (2017)
Missing women
Missing women (S) Sex ratio among 0‑4-year-olds (number of males per 100 females)	105‑116	UNDP World Population Prospects (2017)
Reproductive autonomy
Laws on reproductive autonomy (S) Whether the legal framework protects women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights	0: The legal framework protects women’s reproductive health and rights in the case of unintended pregnancy, without conditions.	SIGI country profiles
	0.25: The legal framework protects women’s reproductive health and rights in the case of unintended pregnancy, but imposes conditions.
	0.5: The legal framework only protects women’s reproductive health and rights in the case of unintended pregnancy with some conditions.
	0.75: The legal framework only protects women’s reproductive health and rights in the case of unintended pregnancy under strict conditions.
	1: The legal framework does not protect women’s reproductive health or rights in the case of unintended pregnancy.
Access to family planning (S) Prevalence of unmet need for family planning – percentage of currently married or in-union women of reproductive age (15‑49 years) who want to cease or delay childbearing but are not using any method of contraception	0‑100%	United Nations Population Fund (2017) United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2018)
RESTRICTED ACCESS TO PRODUCTIVE AND FINANCIAL RESOURCES
Secure access to land assets
Laws on access to land assets (S) Whether women and men have the same legal rights and secure access to land assets	0: Women and men have the same legal rights and secure access to land assets, without legal exceptions. This applies to all groups of women. Customary, religious or traditional practices or laws do not discriminate against women exercising their legal rights.	SIGI country profiles
	0.25: Women and men have the same legal rights and secure access to land assets, without legal exceptions This applies to all groups of women. However, some customary, religious or traditional practices or laws discriminate against women exercising their legal rights.
	0.5: Women and men have the same legal rights and secure access to land assets. However, this does not apply to all groups of women.
	0.75: Women and men have the same legal rights to own land assets, but not to use, make decisions about and/or use land assets as collateral.
	1: Women do not have the same legal rights as men to own land assets.
Access to land ownership (*) Percentage of men in the total number of agricultural holders	0‑100%	Demographic and Health Surveys
Secure access to non-land assets
Laws on access to non-land assets (S) Whether women and men have the same legal rights and secure access to non-land assets	0: Women and men have the same legal rights and secure access to non-land assets, without legal exceptions. This applies to all groups of women. Customary, religious or traditional practices or laws do not discriminate against women exercising their legal rights.	SIGI country profiles
	0.25: Women and men have the same legal rights and secure access to non-land assets, without legal exceptions. This applies to all groups of women. However, some customary, religious or traditional practices or laws discriminate against women exercising their legal rights.
	0.5: Women and men have the same legal rights and secure access to non-land assets. However, this does not apply to all groups of women.
	0.75: Women and men have the same legal rights to own non-land assets, but not to use, make decisions about and/or use non-land assets as collateral.
	1: Women do not have the same legal rights as men to own non-land assets.
Access to house ownership (*) Percentage of men in the total number of people who own a house alone	0‑100%	Demographic and Health Surveys
Secure access to formal financial services
Laws on access to formal financial services (S) Whether women and men have the same legal rights to open a bank account and obtain credit at a formal financial institution	0: Women and men have the same rights to open a bank account and obtain credit at a formal financial institution, without legal exceptions. This applies to all groups of women. Customary, religious or traditional practices or laws do not discriminate against women exercising their legal rights.	SIGI country profiles
	0.25: Women and men have the same rights to open a bank account and obtain credit at a formal financial institution, without legal exceptions. This applies to all groups of women. However, some customary, religious or traditional practices or laws discriminate against women exercising their legal rights.
	0.5: Women and men have the same rights to open a bank account and obtain credit at a formal financial institution. However, this does not apply to all groups of women.
	0.75: Women and men have the same rights to open a bank account at a formal financial institution. However, women do not have the same rights as men to obtain credit.
	1: Women do not have the same rights as men to open a bank account at a formal financial institution.
Access to bank account services (S) Percentage of women in the total population aged 15 years and over who have an account at a financial institution (by themselves or together with someone else)	0‑100%	Global Findex database
Access to financial loans Percentage of women in the total population aged 15 years and over who borrowed any money from a financial institution in the past 12 months	0‑100%	Global Findex database
Access to credit card services Percentage of women in the total population aged 15 years and over who own a credit card	0‑100%	Global Findex database
Workplace rights
Laws on workplace rights (S) Whether women and men have the same legal rights and opportunities in the workplace	0: The legal framework guarantees equality between women and men in the workplace. Parental leave is available to mothers and fathers, and the law protects women’s rights during pregnancy and maternity/parental leave. Customary, religious or traditional practices or laws do not discriminate against women in their legal right to enter certain professions, choose a profession and register a business.	SIGI country profiles
	0.25: The legal framework guarantees equality between women and men in the workplace. Parental leave is available to mothers and fathers, and the law protects women’s rights during pregnancy and maternity/parental leave. However, there is evidence of customary, religious or traditional practices or laws that discriminate against women who exercise their legal right to enter certain professions, choose a profession or register a business.
	0.5: The legal framework guarantees equality between women and men in the workplace. Parental leave is available to mothers and fathers, and the law protects women’s rights during pregnancy and maternity/parental leave. However, this does not apply to all groups of women.
	0.75: The legal framework guarantees equality between women and men in the workplace. However, parental leave is not available to mothers and fathers, and/or the law does not protect women’s rights during pregnancy and maternity/parental leave.
	1: The legal framework does not guarantee equality between women and men in the workplace.
Attitudes towards working women (S) Percentage of the population that disagrees with “It is perfectly acceptable for any woman in your family to have a paid job outside the home if she wants to”	0‑100%	International Labour Organization and Gallup Inc. (2017) Latinobarometer World Values Survey
Representation in managerial positions (S) Percentage of women in the total population employed in management	0‑100%	International Labour Organization
RESTRICTED CIVIL LIBERTIES
Citizenship rights
Laws on citizenship rights (S) Whether women and men have the same citizenship rights and ability to exercise their rights	0: Women and men have the same rights to acquire, change and retain their nationality, and to confer their nationality on their spouse and children, without legal exceptions. This applies to all groups of women. Customary, religious or traditional practices or laws do not restrict these rights.	SIGI country profiles
	0.25: Women and men have the same rights to acquire, change and retain their nationality, and to confer their nationality on their spouse and children, without legal exceptions. This applies to all groups of women. However, some discriminatory customary, religious or traditional practices or laws restrict these rights.
	0.5: Women have the same rights as men to acquire, change and retain their nationality, and to confer their nationality on their spouse and children. However, this does not apply to all groups of women.
	0.75: Women and men have the same rights to acquire, change and retain their nationality. However, women face legal restrictions on their rights to confer their nationality on their husband and/or children.
	1: Women and men do not have the same rights to acquire, change or retain their nationality.
Freedom of movement
Laws on freedom of movement (S) Whether women and men have the same rights to apply for national identity cards (if applicable) and passports, and to travel outside the country	0: Women and men have the same rights to apply for national identity cards (if applicable) and passports, and to travel outside the country, without legal exceptions. This applies to all groups of women. Customary, religious or traditional practices or laws do not discriminate against these rights.	SIGI country profiles
	0.25: Women and men have the same rights to apply for national identity cards (if applicable) and passports, and to travel outside the country, without legal exceptions. This applies to all groups of women. However, some customary, religious or traditional practices or laws discriminate against women exercising these rights.
	0.5: Women and men have the same rights to apply for national identity cards (if applicable) and passports, and to travel outside the country. However, this does not apply to all groups of women.
	0.75: Women do not have the same rights as men either to apply for national identity cards (if applicable) or passports, or to travel outside the country.
	1: Women do not have the same rights as men to apply for national identity cards (if applicable) or passports, and to travel outside the country.
Security feeling (S) Percentage of women in the total number of people who declare not feeling safe walking alone at night in the city or area where they live	Rescaled to 0‑100%	Gallup World Poll (2017)
Political voice
Laws on political voice (S) Whether the legal framework promotes women’s equal political representation	0: Women and men have the same rights to vote and to hold public and political office in the legislative and executive branches of government. There are special measures to promote women’s political participation at the national or sub‐national levels. Customary, religious or traditional practices or laws do not restrict these rights.	SIGI country profiles
	0.25: Women and men have the same rights to vote and to hold public and political office in the legislative and executive branches of government. There are special measures to promote women’s political participation at the national or sub‐national levels. However, some discriminatory customary, religious or traditional practices or laws restrict these rights.
	0.5: Women and men have the same rights to vote and to hold public and political office in the legislative and executive branches of government. There are no legal quotas or special measures or incentives for political parties to promote women’s political participation.
	0.75: Women and men have the same rights to vote. However, women face discrimination against their rights to hold public and political office in the legislative and executive branches of government.
	1: Women and men do not have the same rights to vote.
Political representation (S) Percentage of women in the total number of representatives of the lower or single house of parliament	0‑100%	Inter-Parliamentary Union (2018)
Attitude towards women’s political leadership (*) Percentage of the population that agrees with “On the whole, men make better political leaders than women do”	0‑100%	World Values Survey
Access to justice
Laws on access to justice (S) Whether women and men have the same rights to provide testimony in court, to hold public or political office in the judiciary, and to sue	0: A woman’s testimony holds the same evidentiary weight as a man’s in all types of court cases, and women have the same rights as men to hold public or political office in the judiciary, and to sue. Customary, religious or traditional practices or laws do not discriminate against women’s legal right to provide testimony in court, or to be a judge, advocate or other court officer, or to sue.	SIGI country profiles
	0.25: A woman’s testimony holds the same evidentiary weight as a man’s in all types of court cases, and women have the same rights as men to hold public or political office in the judiciary, and to sue. Women’s testimony carries the same evidentiary weight as men’s in customary/religious courts/tribunals. However, some customary, religious or traditional practices or laws discriminate against women in their legal right to provide testimony in court, or to be a judge, advocate or other court officer, or to sue.
	0.5: A woman’s testimony holds the same evidentiary weight as a man’s in all types of court cases and women have the same rights as men to sue. However, women do not have the same rights as men to hold public or political office in the judiciary.
	0.75: Women and men have the same rights to sue. However, a woman’s testimony does not hold the same evidentiary weight as a man’s in all types of court cases.
	1: Women and men do not have the same rights to sue.
Confidence in the judicial system and courts (S) Percentage of women in the total number of people who declare not having confidence in the judicial system and courts of their country	0‑100%	Gallup World Poll (2017)

Notes:

(S) Variables included in the computation of the SIGI.

(*) Variables not included in the computation of the SIGI but stored in the Gender, Institutions and Development Database.

Source: (OECD, n.d.[35]), Social Institutions and Gender Index, www.genderindex.org.

Questions used to calculate the SIGI scores

The SIGI country profiles are derived from a questionnaire on gender-related legal frameworks – both formal and traditional/cultural – in the countries and territories covered. The questions are mainly divided into two groups: legal framework (formal laws) and de facto (customary, religious or traditional practices or laws). While most of the questions have “Yes” or “No” answers, two of them have numeric values (i.e. the questions on the minimum legal age for marriage for women and men). The list of questions is presented in Table A B.3.

Table A B.3. SIGI questionnaire

DISCRIMINATION IN THE FAMILY
Child marriage
Legal framework	What is the legal age of marriage for women?
	What is the legal age of marriage for men?
	Is the legal age of marriage the same for women and men?
	Are there legal exceptions to the legal age of marriage that allow women and men under the legal age of marriage to marry with the consent of: a. Parent b. Guardian c. Judge d. The court e. Other authority. Please indicate which authority is concerned.
	Does the legal age of marriage apply to all groups of women?
De facto	Are there customary, religious or traditional practices or laws that allow or encourage early marriage of girls?
Household responsibilities
Legal framework	Does the law provide women with the same rights as men to be recognised as the head of household?
	Does the law provide women with the same rights as men to be the legal guardians of their children during marriage?
	Does the law provide women with the same rights as men to be legal guardians of their children in informal unions?
	Regarding women’s legal rights to be recognised as the head of household, does the law apply to all groups of women?
De facto	Are there customary, religious or traditional practices or laws that discriminate against women’s legal right to be recognised as the head of household?
	Are there customary, religious or traditional practices or laws that discriminate against women’s legal right to be the legal guardians of their children?
	Are there customary, religious or traditional practices or laws that discriminate against women’s legal right to choose where to live?
Divorce
Legal framework	Does the law provide women with the same rights as men to initiate divorce?
	Do women have the same requirements as men to finalise a divorce or annulment?
	Does the law provide women with the same rights as men to be the legal guardians of their children after divorce?
	Regarding divorce, does the law apply to all groups of women?
De facto	Are there customary, religious or traditional practices or laws that discriminate against women’s legal rights to initiate divorce?
	Are there customary, religious or traditional practices or laws that discriminate against women’s legal right to be the legal guardians of their children after divorce?
Inheritance
Legal framework	Does the law provide daughters with the same rights as sons to inherit land?
	Does the law provide daughters with the same rights as sons to inherit non-land assets?
	Does the law provide female surviving spouses with the same rights as male surviving spouses to inherit land?
	Does the law provide female surviving spouses with the same rights as male surviving spouses to inherit non-land assets?
	Regarding inheritance rights of daughters, does the law apply to all groups of women?
	Regarding inheritance rights of female surviving spouses, does the law apply to all groups of women?
De facto	Are there customary, religious or traditional practices or laws that discriminate against daughters’ legal rights to inherit?
	Are there customary, religious or traditional practices or laws that discriminate against female surviving spouses’ legal rights to inherit?
RESTRICTED PHYSICAL INTEGRITY
Violence against women
National legal framework on violence against women
	Does the law provide for a comprehensive approach to address violence against women with specific provisions for: a. Investigation, prosecution and punishment of the perpetrator b. Protection and support services for victims/survivors
	Has legislation provided for the removal of provisions which reduce penalties in the case of so-called honour crimes?
Laws addressing domestic violence
Legal framework	Is domestic violence a criminal offence?
	Does domestic violence legislation cover the following abuse: a. Physical? b. Sexual? c. Psychological? d. Economic?
De facto	Are there any exceptions included in the customary, religious or traditional practices or laws that reduce penalties for domestic violence?
Laws addressing rape
Legal framework	Is rape a criminal offence?
	Does the legal definition of rape include marital rape?
	Does the law repeal discriminatory practices such as reduced sentences or escaping punishment if the perpetrator marries the victim?
Laws addressing sexual harassment
Legal framework	Does the legal framework provide legal protection from sexual harassment?
	Does the law on sexual harassment include criminal penalties?
	Does the definition of sexual harassment cover: a. The workplace? b. Educational establishments? c. Sporting establishments? d. Public places? e. Cyber harassment or cyber stalking?
Reproductive autonomy
Legal framework	Is abortion legal?
	Are there any conditions on legal abortion? a. No restrictions on reasons for abortion b. To preserve the mental health of the woman c. Due to rape, statutory rape, or incest d. To preserve the physical health of the woman e. Due to foetal inviability f. To save the woman’s life
RESTRICTED ACCESS TO PRODUCTIVE AND FINANCIAL RESOURCES
Secure access to land assets
Legal framework	Regarding land, does the law provide married women with the same rights as married men to: a. Own b. Use c. Make decisions d. Use as collateral
	Regarding land, does the law provide unmarried women with the same rights as unmarried men to: a. Own b. Use c. Make decisions d. Use as collateral
	Regarding land, does the law apply to all groups of women?
De facto	Are there customary, religious or traditional practices or laws that discriminate against women’s legal rights regarding land to own, use, make decisions and use as collateral?
Secure access to non-land assets
Legal framework	Regarding property and other non-land assets, does the law provide married women with the same rights as married men to: a. Own b. Use c. Make decisions d. Use as collateral
	Regarding property and other non-land assets, does the law provide unmarried women with the same rights as unmarried men to: a. Own b. Use c. Make decisions d. Use as collateral
	Regarding property and other non-land assets, does the law apply to all groups of women?
De facto	Are there customary, religious or traditional practices or laws that discriminate against women’s legal rights regarding non-land assets to own, use, make decisions and use as collateral?
Secure access to formal financial services
Legal framework	Does the law provide married women with the same rights as married men to open a bank account at a formal financial institution?
	Does the law require married women to obtain the signature and authority of their husband/guardian to open a bank account at a formal financial institution?
	Does the law provide married women with the same rights as married men to obtain credit?
	Does the law provide unmarried women with the same rights as unmarried men to obtain credit?
	Regarding access to formal financial services, does the law apply to all groups of women?
De facto	Are there customary, religious or traditional practices or laws that discriminate against women’s legal right to open a bank account?
	Are there customary, religious or traditional practices or laws that discriminate against women’s legal right to obtain credit?
Workplace rights
Legal framework	Does the law mandate non-discrimination on the basis of sex in employment?
	Does the law mandate equal remuneration for work of equal value?
	Does the law prohibit women from entering certain professions?
	Does the law allow women to work the same night hours as men?
	Does the law mandate paid maternity leave?
	Does the law mandate paid paternity leave?
	Does the law mandate parental leave?
	Does the law require women to have permission from their husband or legal guardian to: a. Choose a profession/occupation or work b. Register a business
	Regarding women’s legal right to choose a profession/occupation or work, and/or to register a business, does the law apply to all groups of women?
De facto	Are there customary, religious or traditional practices or laws that discriminate against women’s legal right to enter certain professions?
	Are there customary, religious or traditional practices or laws that require women to have permission from their husband or legal guardian to: a. Choose a profession/occupation or work b. Register a business
RESTRICTED CIVIL LIBERTIES
Citizenship rights
Legal framework	Does the law provide married women with the same rights as married men to acquire nationality?
	Does the law provide unmarried women with the same rights as unmarried men to acquire nationality?
	Does the law provide married women with the same rights as married men to change their nationality?
	Does the law provide unmarried women with the same rights as unmarried men to change their nationality?
	Does the law provide married women with the same rights as married men to retain their nationality?
	Does the law provide unmarried women with the same rights as unmarried men to retain their nationality?
	Does the law provide married women with the same rights as married men to confer nationality on their spouse?
	Does the law provide married women with the same rights as married men to confer nationality on their children?
	Does the law provide unmarried women with the same rights as unmarried men to confer nationality on their children?
	Regarding women’s nationality rights, does the law apply to all groups of women?
De facto	Are there discriminatory customary, religious or traditional practices or laws that discriminate against women’s legal rights to acquire, change or retain their nationality?
	Are there discriminatory customary, religious or traditional practices or laws that discriminate against women’s legal rights to confer nationality on their spouse and/or children?
Freedom of movement
Legal framework	Does the law provide married women with the same rights as married men to apply for identity cards?
	Does the law provide unmarried women with the same rights as unmarried men to apply for identity cards?
	Does the law provide married women with the same rights as married men to apply for passports?
	Does the law provide unmarried women with the same rights as unmarried men to apply for passports?
	Regarding identity cards and/or passports, does the law apply to all groups of women?
	Does the law provide married women with the same rights as married men to travel outside the country?
	Does the law provide unmarried women with the same rights as unmarried men to travel outside the country?
De facto	Are there customary, religious or traditional practices or laws that discriminate against women’s rights to apply for identity cards or passports?
Political voice
Legal framework	Does the law provide married women with the same rights as married men to vote?
	Does the law provide unmarried women with the same rights as unmarried men to vote?
	Does the law provide women with the same rights as men to hold public and political office in a. Legislature? b. Executive?
Enforcement, monitoring and promotion	Do legal quotas exist to promote women’s political participation at the national level?
	Do legal quotas exist to promote women’s political participation at the local level? For the respective country, please define local level.
	Does the law provide for special measures other than quotas to promote women’s political participation at the national level?
	Does the law provide for special measures other than quotas to promote women’s political participation at the local level? For the respective country, please define local level.
	Are there incentives for political parties to include women on candidate lists for national elections?
	Are there incentives for political parties to include women on candidate lists for local elections?
De facto	Are there customary, religious or traditional practices or laws that discriminate against women’s legal right to vote?
	Are there customary, religious or traditional practices or laws that discriminate against women’s legal right to hold public office?
Access to justice
Legal framework	Does the law provide women with the same rights as men to hold public and political office in the judiciary?
	Does the law provide married women with the same rights as married men to sue?
	Does the law provide unmarried women with the same rights as unmarried men to sue?
	Does a married woman’s testimony carry the same evidentiary weight in court as a married man’s in all types of court cases such as: a. Civil b. Criminal c. Family court d. Tribunal
	Does an unmarried woman’s testimony carry the same evidentiary weight in court as an unmarried man’s in all types of court cases such as: a. Civil b. Criminal c. Family court d. Tribunal
De facto	Are there customary, religious or traditional practices or laws that discriminate against women’s legal right to sue?
	Does a woman’s testimony carry the same evidentiary weight in customary/religious courts/tribunals as a man’s?
	Are there customary, religious or traditional practices or laws that discriminate against women in terms of providing testimony in court?
	Are there customary, religious or traditional practices or laws that discriminate against women’s legal right to be judges, advocates or other court officers?

Source: (OECD, n.d.[35]), Social Institutions and Gender Index, www.genderindex.org.

References

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[1] United Nations (1962), Convention on Consent to Marriage, Minimum Age for Marriage and Registration of Marriages, https://treaties.un.org/doc/Treaties/1964/12/19641223%2002-15%20AM/Ch_XVI_3p.pdf (accessed on 20 May 2020).

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[29] United Nations (1953), Convention on the Political Rights of Women.

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Notes

← 1.  ActionAID (2013); Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (2013); Cabo Verde National Institute of Statistics (2012); ECLAC (2010); ECLAC (2016); General Statistics Office of Viet Nam (2014-15); Instituto Nacional de Estadistica y Censos – Costa Rica; National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (2013-14); National Statistics, Republic of China (Chinese Taipei) (2000); OECD SIGI Burkina Faso country study (2018); OXFAM (2017); République de Guinée (2002-03); Statistics Sierra Leone (2003-04); Timor-Leste Ministry of Finance (2007); Troisième enquête camerounaise auprès des ménages; UNSD time use data portal (2016); Zimbabwe 2014 LFS.

← 2.  ActionAID (2013); Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (2013); Cabo Verde National Institute of Statistics (2012); ECLAC (2010); ECLAC (2016); General Statistics Office of Viet Nam (2014-15); Instituto Nacional de Estadistica y Censos – Costa Rica; National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (2013-14); National Statistics, Republic of China (Chinese Taipei) (2000); OECD SIGI Burkina Faso country study (2018); OXFAM (2017); République de Guinée (2002-03); Statistics Sierra Leone (2003-04); Timor-Leste Ministry of Finance (2007); Troisième enquête camerounaise auprès des ménages; UNSD time use data portal (2016); Zimbabwe 2014 LFS.