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 prohibition

Brunei - No prohibition

Malaysia - No prohibition

Micronesia, Federated States of - No prohibition

Myanmar - No prohibition

Nauru - No prohibition

Nigeria - No prohibition

Palau - No prohibition

Singapore - No prohibition

Solomon Islands - No prohibition

Sri Lanka - No prohibition

Sudan - No prohibition

Tonga - No prohibition

Bangladesh - Only prohibit some aspects and no broad prohibition

Botswana - Only prohibit some aspects and no broad prohibition

Cameroon - Only prohibit some aspects and no broad prohibition

Dominica - Only prohibit some aspects and no broad prohibition

Guatemala - Only prohibit some aspects and no broad prohibition

India - Only prohibit some aspects and no broad prohibition

Jamaica - Only prohibit some aspects and no broad prohibition

Jordan - Only prohibit some aspects and no broad prohibition

Lebanon - Only prohibit some aspects and no broad prohibition

Monaco - Only prohibit some aspects and no broad prohibition

The Philippines - Only prohibit some aspects and no broad prohibition

Qatar - Only prohibit some aspects and no broad prohibition

San Marino - Only prohibit some aspects and no broad prohibition

Seychelles - Only prohibit some aspects and no broad prohibition

St. Kitts and Nevis - Only prohibit some aspects and no broad prohibition

St. Vincent and the Grenadines - Only prohibit some aspects and no broad prohibition

Vanuatu - Only prohibit some aspects and no broad prohibition

Algeria - Broad prohibition and specific for some areas

Angola - Broad prohibition and specific for some areas

Antigua and Barbuda - Broad prohibition and specific for some areas

Armenia - Broad prohibition and specific for some areas

Australia - Broad prohibition and specific for some areas

Bahrain - Broad prohibition and specific for some areas

Barbados - Broad prohibition and specific for some areas

Belarus - Broad prohibition and specific for some areas

Belgium - Broad prohibition and specific for some areas

Belize - Broad prohibition and specific for some areas

Bolivia - Broad prohibition and specific for some areas

Canada - Broad prohibition and specific for some areas

Cabo Verde - Broad prohibition and specific for some areas

Central African Republic - Broad prohibition and specific for some areas

Chile - Broad prohibition and specific for some areas

China - Broad prohibition and specific for some areas

Colombia - Broad prohibition and specific for some areas

Republic of the Congo - Broad prohibition and specific for some areas

Democratic Republic of the Congo - Broad prohibition and specific for some areas

Costa Rica - Broad prohibition and specific for some areas

Croatia - Broad prohibition and specific for some areas

Cuba - Broad prohibition and specific for some areas

Czech Republic - Broad prohibition and specific for some areas

Dominican Republic - Broad prohibition and specific for some areas

Egypt - Broad prohibition and specific for some areas

El Salvador - Broad prohibition and specific for some areas

Equatorial Guinea - Broad prohibition and specific for some areas

Eritrea - Broad prohibition and specific for some areas

Ethiopia - Broad prohibition and specific for some areas

Gabon - Broad prohibition and specific for some areas

Ghana - Broad prohibition and specific for some areas

Guinea-Bissau - Broad prohibition and specific for some areas

Haiti - Broad prohibition and specific for some areas

Indonesia - Broad prohibition and specific for some areas

Iran - Broad prohibition and specific for some areas

Kazakhstan - Broad prohibition and specific for some areas

Democratic People's Republic of Korea - Broad prohibition and specific for some areas

Kuwait - Broad prohibition and specific for some areas

Kyrgyzstan - Broad prohibition and specific for some areas

Lesotho - Broad prohibition and specific for some areas

Libya - Broad prohibition and specific for some areas

Lithuania - Broad prohibition and specific for some areas

Mali - Broad prohibition and specific for some areas

Mauritania - Broad prohibition and specific for some areas

Mongolia - Broad prohibition and specific for some areas

Mozambique - Broad prohibition and specific for some areas

Nepal - Broad prohibition and specific for some areas

Nicaragua - Broad prohibition and specific for some areas

Oman - Broad prohibition and specific for some areas

Pakistan - Broad prohibition and specific for some areas

Panama - Broad prohibition and specific for some areas

Papua New Guinea - Broad prohibition and specific for some areas

Paraguay - Broad prohibition and specific for some areas

Russian Federation - Broad prohibition and specific for some areas

Rwanda - Broad prohibition and specific for some areas

Saudi Arabia - Broad prohibition and specific for some areas

Sierra Leone - Broad prohibition and specific for some areas

Somalia - Broad prohibition and specific for some areas

Eswatini - Broad prohibition and specific for some areas

Sweden - Broad prohibition and specific for some areas

Thailand - Broad prohibition and specific for some areas

Timor-Leste - Broad prohibition and specific for some areas

Trinidad and Tobago - Broad prohibition and specific for some areas

Tunisia - Broad prohibition and specific for some areas

Uganda - Broad prohibition and specific for some areas

United Arab Emirates - Broad prohibition and specific for some areas

United States of America - Broad prohibition and specific for some areas

Yemen - Broad prohibition and specific for some areas

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

The Gambia - 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

Laos - 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

Cyprus - Prohibits all aspects and indirect discrimination

Denmark - Prohibits all aspects and indirect discrimination

Ecuador - 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

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

Samoa - Prohibits all aspects and indirect discrimination

Sao Tome and Principe - Prohibits all aspects and indirect discrimination

Senegal - 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

Suriname - 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