A record 137 countries have removed red tape and made it easier to set up and run businesses in their territories, a new World Bank report has revealed. But the report also found women entrepreneurs are discriminated against in many places across the world.
The finding comes from the latest World Bank Doing Business report, which ranks countries based on how easy it is for private sector companies to start, operate and expand.
The new study, dubbed “Doing Business 2017: Equal Opportunity for All,” points to an overall increase in the number of countries adopting business efficiency reforms, of which 75 percent were in developing countries.
Printing articles to share with others is a breach of our terms and conditions and copyright policy. Please use the sharing options on the left side of the article. Devex Pro members may share up to 10 articles per month using the Pro share tool ( ).
About the author
Sophie Edwards
Sophie Edwards is a Devex Contributing Reporter covering global education, water and sanitation, and innovative financing, along with other topics. She has previously worked for NGOs, and the World Bank, and spent a number of years as a journalist for a regional newspaper in the U.K. She has a master's degree from the Institute of Development Studies and a bachelor's from Cambridge University.
