Women, Business and the Law

Abstract

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The shifting culture of the scientific workforce – a change for women and girls in science

“…In 2022, over 30 countries had no laws prohibiting discrimination in employment on the basis of gender. In 2018, over 100 countries had restrictions in the types of job women can hold – with most restrictions related to work activities deemed dangerous ( World Bank, 2022 ). Added to this are societal expectations that discourage girls from pursuing careers in areas like science, engineering and technology that have been traditionally male dominated.…”

Supporting women’s empowerment through green policies and finance

“…In low-income countries, women are more exposed to the transmission of diseases because they are often in charge of disposing of dirty or polluted water and human waste, while also tending to livestock and interfacing closely with wildlife. Furthermore, they rarely have access to safe or private sanitation and handwashing facilities (WHO/UNICEF, 2017 [16]). Hazardous chemicals have also been found to have differentiated impacts on men and women, especially in rural areas of developing countries where women heavily rely on natural resources (UNEP et al, 2013 [17]) and are more exposed to areas contaminated with chemicals, petroleum or heavy metals (CDC, 2003 [18]).…”

“…In particular, some exchanges have gender-specific listing rules for companies (SSE Initiative, 2017 [93]). 16 Moreover, as part of the wide range of policies to foster the mobilisation of sustainable finance, a growing number of countries worldwide are or have been developing green, transition and/or sustainable finance definitions and taxonomies, i.e. classification schemes that help define green, transition, or sustainable activities and investments.…”