Women’s Safety Laws Around the World: Legal Protections and Challenges

Women’s safety is closely connected to legal rights, access to justice, public policy, and effective enforcement. Countries use different laws and systems to address violence, harassment, discrimination, and other threats affecting women.

However, having a law on the books does not always mean that women can access its protection in practice. The World Bank’s Women, Business and the Law framework distinguishes between legal frameworks and the systems needed to implement them. Its 2024 Safety indicator examined laws and supporting frameworks related to child marriage, sexual harassment, domestic violence, and femicide across 190 economies.

Understanding Women’s Safety Laws

Women’s safety laws differ across countries because legal systems, social conditions, and policy priorities vary.

Why Legal Protection Matters

Laws can define prohibited conduct, establish penalties, create protective measures, and provide pathways to justice.

International frameworks also recognize the importance of protecting women from violence and discrimination. UN Women notes that laws, policies, budgets, and support systems are important tools for addressing violence against women and girls.

Legal protection can cover different areas, including domestic violence, sexual harassment, child marriage, workplace violence, and technology-facilitated abuse.

Legal protections are also part of the wider effort to support women and promote equality through practical action and institutional change.

For an example of how legal protections address women's rights in practice, explore women-centric legislation in India.

Laws and Their Implementation

Effective legislation requires more than formal legal provisions.

Implementation can depend on factors such as:

• Law enforcement procedures.

• Access to courts and legal assistance.

• Survivor support services.

• Training for relevant authorities.

• Public awareness.

• Monitoring and accountability.

• Adequate funding.

The World Bank found a substantial gap between legal frameworks and the supportive systems needed to put them into practice.

Legal protections can still fall short when institutions and justice systems fail to address gender bias in the Indian legal system.

Laws Addressing Violence Against Women

Violence against women can take different forms, and countries use different legal approaches to address them.

Child Marriage

Child marriage can restrict girls' education, health, autonomy, and economic opportunities.

Legal approaches can include setting minimum marriage ages, regulating exceptions, establishing penalties, and strengthening birth and marriage registration systems.

The World Bank's Safety indicator includes child marriage as one of four areas used to examine legal protections related to violence against women across 190 economies.

However, legal minimum ages alone may not prevent child marriage. Enforcement, registration systems, education, and community-level interventions can also influence whether protections work in practice.

Domestic Violence and Sexual Harassment

Domestic violence laws can address physical, sexual, psychological, or economic forms of abuse, depending on the legal framework of each country.

UN Women reports that many countries have domestic violence legislation, but the scope and comprehensiveness of those laws vary.

Sexual harassment laws can also cover different environments. The World Bank's 2024 data found that 151 economies had legislation prohibiting sexual harassment in the workplace, while 39 had laws prohibiting it in public spaces.

These differences demonstrate why the existence of legislation should be considered alongside its coverage and implementation.

Femicide and Gender-Based Violence

Some countries have introduced specific legal measures addressing the killing of women and girls because of their gender, while others address such cases through broader criminal laws.

The World Bank includes femicide within its Safety indicator because legal frameworks addressing this form of gender-based violence vary across economies.

Effective responses can involve criminal laws, investigation procedures, protection measures, access to justice, and services for survivors and affected families.

Women’s Safety in the Workplace

A safe workplace is an important part of women's participation in economic and professional life.

Workplace Violence and Harassment

Workplace safety laws can address physical violence, sexual harassment, psychological harm, and other forms of unacceptable conduct.

Protection may apply not only inside a traditional workplace but also to work-related travel, communication, and other situations covered by national law.

The International Labour Organization's Convention No. 190 recognizes the right of everyone to a world of work free from violence and harassment, including gender-based violence and harassment.

International Standards and ILO Convention 190

ILO Convention No. 190 was adopted in 2019 and entered into force in 2021. By April 2026, it had been ratified by 56 countries.

The convention provides an international framework for preventing and addressing violence and harassment at work.

However, ratification is only one part of implementation. Countries also need appropriate national laws, policies, enforcement mechanisms, and workplace procedures.

Where Women’s Safety Laws Fall Short

The existence of legislation does not automatically guarantee safety or access to justice.

Gaps Between Laws and Implementation

The World Bank's 2024 analysis found that countries had established less than 40% of the supportive systems needed for full implementation of the legal rights measured in its broader framework. The report also identified women's safety as one of the areas with particularly large gaps.

This highlights an important distinction: a country can have legislation addressing an issue while still lacking the institutions, services, procedures, or resources needed to make those protections effective.

Access to Justice and Support Services

Women may face practical barriers when reporting violence or seeking legal protection.

These can include limited access to legal assistance, inadequate support services, lack of awareness about available protections, financial barriers, and difficulties navigating justice systems.

UN Women's global database tracks legislation alongside institutional mechanisms, support services, prevention measures, and other government actions addressing violence against women and girls.

Building a supportive feminist community can help raise awareness, share resources, and encourage collective action against gender-based violence.

Safety in Public Spaces and Online

Women's safety concerns can extend beyond homes and workplaces.

Public Transport and Public Spaces

Harassment in public spaces can affect women's ability to travel, work, study, and participate fully in society.

Legal responses may include laws addressing sexual harassment, criminal penalties, transport policies, reporting mechanisms, and measures designed to improve public safety.

The World Bank's 2024 Safety indicator found a significant difference between economies with workplace sexual-harassment laws and those with laws specifically addressing sexual harassment in public spaces.

Creating safer public spaces therefore requires coordination between legislation, transport systems, law enforcement, and public awareness.

Technology-Facilitated Violence

Technology has created new ways for harassment and abuse to occur.

Online threats, image-based abuse, stalking, harassment, and other forms of technology-facilitated violence can affect women's safety and privacy.

Legal responses differ across countries. UN Women's global database identifies an increasing number of government measures addressing technology-facilitated violence against women and girls.

Effective responses can include clear legal definitions, accessible reporting mechanisms, platform responsibilities, law enforcement procedures, and support for victims and survivors.

The continuing risks women face online are also explored in this discussion of threats against women both offline and online.

How Countries Can Strengthen Women’s Safety

Improving women's safety requires attention to both legislation and implementation.

Stronger Laws and Enforcement

Countries can strengthen protections by:

• Reviewing laws for gaps and discriminatory provisions.

• Defining prohibited forms of violence clearly.

• Establishing effective enforcement procedures.

• Improving access to justice.

• Training police, judicial officers, and other relevant professionals.

• Monitoring how laws work in practice.

UN Women emphasizes that effective legislation should prevent violence, protect survivors, provide remedies, and hold perpetrators accountable.

Better Support Systems

Legal protection works more effectively when women can access appropriate services.

These can include shelters, healthcare, legal assistance, counseling, emergency services, and other survivor-centered support.

Governments can also collect reliable data to identify gaps and evaluate whether policies are producing meaningful improvements.

Inclusive Policy Development

Women are not a single, uniform group. Safety concerns can differ based on factors such as age, disability, location, economic circumstances, and other social conditions.

Policies should therefore consider different experiences when designing legislation and support systems.

Consultation with affected communities can also help policymakers identify barriers that may not be visible from legislation alone.

An intersectional feminist approach can help policymakers recognize how different social and economic circumstances affect women's safety and access to justice.

Conclusion

Women's safety laws vary widely around the world, covering issues such as child marriage, domestic violence, sexual harassment, femicide, workplace violence, and technology-facilitated abuse.

Global evidence shows that the challenge is not only whether laws exist. It is also whether institutions, services, enforcement systems, and access to justice are strong enough to make those laws meaningful.

Strengthening women's safety therefore requires a combination of clear legal protections, effective implementation, accessible support services, reliable data, and meaningful participation from the communities affected by these laws.