WORLD Policy Analysis Center

Do countries comprehensively prohibit gender discrimination at work?

The term ‘gender’ refers to country references to ‘gender’ or ‘sex’ or specific protections for ‘female’ or ‘women’ employees.

Aspects of discrimination examined include discrimination in hiring, promotions and/or demotions, training, pay, and terminations.

Indirect discrimination indicates a prohibition of imposing standards, criteria, or other requirements that disproportionately impact persons on the basis of gender and have the effect of discrimination on this basis. In these cases, legislation either explicitly prohibits indirect discrimination, or prohibits the imposition of unreasonable requirements that particularly disadvantage persons on the basis of gender. Legislative prohibitions of indirect discrimination may extend across any aspect of work, or specific aspects of work such as hiring.

No explicit prohibition means that legislation does not explicitly prohibit gender-based workplace discrimination broadly, nor specifically against discrimination in any aspect examined. This does not mean that legislation denies this guarantee.

Countries

Afghanistan - No explicit prohibition

Brunei - No explicit prohibition

Malaysia - No explicit prohibition

Micronesia, Federated States of - No explicit prohibition

Myanmar - No explicit prohibition

Nauru - No explicit prohibition

Nigeria - No explicit prohibition

Palau - No explicit prohibition

Sierra Leone - No explicit prohibition

Singapore - No explicit prohibition

Solomon Islands - No explicit prohibition

Sri Lanka - No explicit prohibition

Sudan - No explicit prohibition

Tonga - No explicit prohibition

Bangladesh - No broad prohibition and prohibits only some aspects

Botswana - No broad prohibition and prohibits only some aspects

Cameroon - No broad prohibition and prohibits only some aspects

Republic of the Congo - No broad prohibition and prohibits only some aspects

Dominica - No broad prohibition and prohibits only some aspects

Guatemala - No broad prohibition and prohibits only some aspects

India - No broad prohibition and prohibits only some aspects

Jamaica - No broad prohibition and prohibits only some aspects

Jordan - No broad prohibition and prohibits only some aspects

Democratic People's Republic of Korea - No broad prohibition and prohibits only some aspects

Kuwait - No broad prohibition and prohibits only some aspects

Lebanon - No broad prohibition and prohibits only some aspects

Monaco - No broad prohibition and prohibits only some aspects

The Philippines - No broad prohibition and prohibits only some aspects

Qatar - No broad prohibition and prohibits only some aspects

San Marino - No broad prohibition and prohibits only some aspects

Senegal - No broad prohibition and prohibits only some aspects

Seychelles - No broad prohibition and prohibits only some aspects

St. Kitts and Nevis - No broad prohibition and prohibits only some aspects

St. Vincent and the Grenadines - No broad prohibition and prohibits only some aspects

United Arab Emirates - No broad prohibition and prohibits only some aspects

Vanuatu - No broad prohibition and prohibits only some aspects

Algeria - Broad prohibition, but does not specifically prohibit all aspects

Angola - Broad prohibition, but does not specifically prohibit all aspects

Antigua and Barbuda - Broad prohibition, but does not specifically prohibit all aspects

Armenia - Broad prohibition, but does not specifically prohibit all aspects

Australia - Broad prohibition, but does not specifically prohibit all aspects

Bahrain - Broad prohibition, but does not specifically prohibit all aspects

Barbados - Broad prohibition, but does not specifically prohibit all aspects

Belarus - Broad prohibition, but does not specifically prohibit all aspects

Belgium - Broad prohibition, but does not specifically prohibit all aspects

Belize - Broad prohibition, but does not specifically prohibit all aspects

Bolivia - Broad prohibition, but does not specifically prohibit all aspects

Cabo Verde - Broad prohibition, but does not specifically prohibit all aspects

Central African Republic - Broad prohibition, but does not specifically prohibit all aspects

Chile - Broad prohibition, but does not specifically prohibit all aspects

China - Broad prohibition, but does not specifically prohibit all aspects

Colombia - Broad prohibition, but does not specifically prohibit all aspects

Democratic Republic of the Congo - Broad prohibition, but does not specifically prohibit all aspects

Costa Rica - Broad prohibition, but does not specifically prohibit all aspects

Croatia - Broad prohibition, but does not specifically prohibit all aspects

Cuba - Broad prohibition, but does not specifically prohibit all aspects

Czech Republic - Broad prohibition, but does not specifically prohibit all aspects

Dominican Republic - Broad prohibition, but does not specifically prohibit all aspects

Ecuador - Broad prohibition, but does not specifically prohibit all aspects

Egypt - Broad prohibition, but does not specifically prohibit all aspects

El Salvador - Broad prohibition, but does not specifically prohibit all aspects

Equatorial Guinea - Broad prohibition, but does not specifically prohibit all aspects

Eritrea - Broad prohibition, but does not specifically prohibit all aspects

Ethiopia - Broad prohibition, but does not specifically prohibit all aspects

Gabon - Broad prohibition, but does not specifically prohibit all aspects

The Gambia - Broad prohibition, but does not specifically prohibit all aspects

Ghana - Broad prohibition, but does not specifically prohibit all aspects

Guinea-Bissau - Broad prohibition, but does not specifically prohibit all aspects

Haiti - Broad prohibition, but does not specifically prohibit all aspects

Indonesia - Broad prohibition, but does not specifically prohibit all aspects

Iran - Broad prohibition, but does not specifically prohibit all aspects

Kazakhstan - Broad prohibition, but does not specifically prohibit all aspects

Kyrgyzstan - Broad prohibition, but does not specifically prohibit all aspects

Laos - Broad prohibition, but does not specifically prohibit all aspects

Lesotho - Broad prohibition, but does not specifically prohibit all aspects

Libya - Broad prohibition, but does not specifically prohibit all aspects

Mali - Broad prohibition, but does not specifically prohibit all aspects

Mauritania - Broad prohibition, but does not specifically prohibit all aspects

Mongolia - Broad prohibition, but does not specifically prohibit all aspects

Mozambique - Broad prohibition, but does not specifically prohibit all aspects

Nepal - Broad prohibition, but does not specifically prohibit all aspects

Nicaragua - Broad prohibition, but does not specifically prohibit all aspects

Oman - Broad prohibition, but does not specifically prohibit all aspects

Pakistan - Broad prohibition, but does not specifically prohibit all aspects

Panama - Broad prohibition, but does not specifically prohibit all aspects

Papua New Guinea - Broad prohibition, but does not specifically prohibit all aspects

Paraguay - Broad prohibition, but does not specifically prohibit all aspects

Russian Federation - Broad prohibition, but does not specifically prohibit all aspects

Rwanda - Broad prohibition, but does not specifically prohibit all aspects

Samoa - Broad prohibition, but does not specifically prohibit all aspects

Saudi Arabia - Broad prohibition, but does not specifically prohibit all aspects

Somalia - Broad prohibition, but does not specifically prohibit all aspects

Suriname - Broad prohibition, but does not specifically prohibit all aspects

Eswatini - Broad prohibition, but does not specifically prohibit all aspects

Sweden - Broad prohibition, but does not specifically prohibit all aspects

Thailand - Broad prohibition, but does not specifically prohibit all aspects

Timor-Leste - Broad prohibition, but does not specifically prohibit all aspects

Trinidad and Tobago - Broad prohibition, but does not specifically prohibit all aspects

Tunisia - Broad prohibition, but does not specifically prohibit all aspects

Uganda - Broad prohibition, but does not specifically prohibit all aspects

United States of America - Broad prohibition, but does not specifically prohibit all aspects

Yemen - Broad prohibition, but does not specifically prohibit all aspects

Bahamas - Prohibits all aspects but not indirect discrimination

Benin - Prohibits all aspects but not indirect discrimination

Brazil - Prohibits all aspects but not indirect discrimination

Burkina Faso - Prohibits all aspects but not indirect discrimination

Cambodia - Prohibits all aspects but not indirect discrimination

Chad - Prohibits all aspects but not indirect discrimination

Comoros - Prohibits all aspects but not indirect discrimination

Cote d'Ivoire - Prohibits all aspects but not indirect discrimination

Djibouti - Prohibits all aspects but not indirect discrimination

Grenada - Prohibits all aspects but not indirect discrimination

Guinea - Prohibits all aspects but not indirect discrimination

Honduras - Prohibits all aspects but not indirect discrimination

Israel - Prohibits all aspects but not indirect discrimination

Japan - Prohibits all aspects but not indirect discrimination

Madagascar - Prohibits all aspects but not indirect discrimination

Malawi - Prohibits all aspects but not indirect discrimination

Mexico - Prohibits all aspects but not indirect discrimination

Morocco - Prohibits all aspects but not indirect discrimination

Niger - Prohibits all aspects but not indirect discrimination

Syria - Prohibits all aspects but not indirect discrimination

Tajikistan - Prohibits all aspects but not indirect discrimination

Turkmenistan - Prohibits all aspects but not indirect discrimination

Venezuela - Prohibits all aspects but not indirect discrimination

Vietnam - Prohibits all aspects but not indirect discrimination

Albania - Prohibits all aspects and indirect discrimination

Andorra - Prohibits all aspects and indirect discrimination

Argentina - Prohibits all aspects and indirect discrimination

Austria - Prohibits all aspects and indirect discrimination

Azerbaijan - Prohibits all aspects and indirect discrimination

Bhutan - Prohibits all aspects and indirect discrimination

Bosnia and Herzegovina - Prohibits all aspects and indirect discrimination

Bulgaria - Prohibits all aspects and indirect discrimination

Burundi - Prohibits all aspects and indirect discrimination

Canada - Prohibits all aspects and indirect discrimination

Cyprus - Prohibits all aspects and indirect discrimination

Denmark - Prohibits all aspects and indirect discrimination

Estonia - Prohibits all aspects and indirect discrimination

Fiji - Prohibits all aspects and indirect discrimination

Finland - Prohibits all aspects and indirect discrimination

France - Prohibits all aspects and indirect discrimination

Georgia - Prohibits all aspects and indirect discrimination

Germany - Prohibits all aspects and indirect discrimination

Greece - Prohibits all aspects and indirect discrimination

Greenland - Prohibits all aspects and indirect discrimination

Guyana - Prohibits all aspects and indirect discrimination

Hungary - Prohibits all aspects and indirect discrimination

Iceland - Prohibits all aspects and indirect discrimination

Iraq - Prohibits all aspects and indirect discrimination

Ireland - Prohibits all aspects and indirect discrimination

Italy - Prohibits all aspects and indirect discrimination

Kenya - Prohibits all aspects and indirect discrimination

Kiribati - Prohibits all aspects and indirect discrimination

Republic of Korea - Prohibits all aspects and indirect discrimination

Latvia - Prohibits all aspects and indirect discrimination

Liberia - Prohibits all aspects and indirect discrimination

Liechtenstein - Prohibits all aspects and indirect discrimination

Lithuania - Prohibits all aspects and indirect discrimination

Luxembourg - Prohibits all aspects and indirect discrimination

North Macedonia - Prohibits all aspects and indirect discrimination

Maldives - Prohibits all aspects and indirect discrimination

Malta - Prohibits all aspects and indirect discrimination

Marshall Islands - Prohibits all aspects and indirect discrimination

Mauritius - Prohibits all aspects and indirect discrimination

Moldova - Prohibits all aspects and indirect discrimination

Montenegro - Prohibits all aspects and indirect discrimination

Namibia - Prohibits all aspects and indirect discrimination

The Netherlands - Prohibits all aspects and indirect discrimination

New Zealand - Prohibits all aspects and indirect discrimination

Norway - Prohibits all aspects and indirect discrimination

Peru - Prohibits all aspects and indirect discrimination

Poland - Prohibits all aspects and indirect discrimination

Portugal - Prohibits all aspects and indirect discrimination

Romania - Prohibits all aspects and indirect discrimination

Sao Tome and Principe - Prohibits all aspects and indirect discrimination

Serbia - Prohibits all aspects and indirect discrimination

Slovakia - Prohibits all aspects and indirect discrimination

Slovenia - Prohibits all aspects and indirect discrimination

South Africa - Prohibits all aspects and indirect discrimination

South Sudan - Prohibits all aspects and indirect discrimination

Spain - Prohibits all aspects and indirect discrimination

St. Lucia - Prohibits all aspects and indirect discrimination

Switzerland - Prohibits all aspects and indirect discrimination

Tanzania - Prohibits all aspects and indirect discrimination

Togo - Prohibits all aspects and indirect discrimination

Türkiye - Prohibits all aspects and indirect discrimination

Tuvalu - Prohibits all aspects and indirect discrimination

Ukraine - Prohibits all aspects and indirect discrimination

United Kingdom - Prohibits all aspects and indirect discrimination

Uruguay - Prohibits all aspects and indirect discrimination

Uzbekistan - Prohibits all aspects and indirect discrimination

Zambia - Prohibits all aspects and indirect discrimination

Zimbabwe - Prohibits all aspects and indirect discrimination