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Mapping Equal Rights
Around the WoRLD
Saturday, May 1st, 2010
IHSP Research to Policy Conference
Background: The Need for a New
Approach

Until now, there has been little globally comparative data
regarding legislation and public policy.

This has made it impossible to rapidly compare protections
available around the world for marginalized populations
struggling to achieve equal rights.

The absence of global information has made it difficult for
actors to establish where their country stands in relation to
others, to know whether it is meeting commonly accepted
global standards, and to hold governments accountable for the
commitments they have made.
WoRLD Data Centre Overview

The World Legal Rights Data
Centre (WoRLD) is a unique
initiative aimed at improving the
quantity and quality of
comparative data available to
policymakers, citizens, civil
society, and researchers around
the world on policies affecting
human health, development,
wellbeing, and equity.

WoRLD includes data and
comparative analysis on 192
countries.
Components of WoRLD
The Institute for Health and Social Policy is gathering and
analyzing data for the following components of WoRLD:
1. The Work, Family and Equity Index
2. The Discrimination and Equity in Constitutions Project
3. The Education Initiative
4. The Child Labour Initiative
5. The Poverty Reduction Global Policy Database
1.The Work, Family and Equity Index
After determining key elements of work and family rights outlined in
international conventions, WFEI examines, among other policies:

Leave to address children’s health and educational needs

Leave for the birth or adoption of a child

Breastfeeding breaks

Overtime policy
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Annual leave

Sick leave

Bans on night work

Leave to care for ill family members

Mandatory days of rest from work
Where Does the WoRLD Stand on
Labour Policy?

98 countries offer paid sick leave for 26 weeks or until
recovery.
Where Does the WoRLD Stand on
Labour Policy?

All but seven countries offer paid maternal leave.
2. The Discrimination and Equity in
Constitutions Project
This initiative assesses the types of equal rights and anti-discrimination
provisions put forth in charters of rights and constitutions. Based on 37
international conventions and fundamental equity principles, a framework
consisting of relevant rights was developed. It involves looking at:
Types of rights:
Non-discrimination by:


Civil

Education

Family


Health


Legal


Political

Work





Age
Citizenship
Disability
Language
National Origin
Race/ethnicity
Religion
Sex/gender
Sexual orientation
Where Does the WoRLD Stand on
Discrimination and Equity?

84 countries guarantee the right to equality before the
law in the Constitution to all residents.
Do All Residents Have a Constitutionally Guaranteed Right to Equality Before the Law?
Constitutional Guarantees for Right to Equality Before the Law
Guaranteed & Justiciable
Guaranteed
Guaranteed with Potential Denials
Aspirational
Not Universally Granted
Not Mentioned in Constitution
Potentially Denied
Insufficient Data
Where Does the WoRLD Stand on
Discrimination and Equity?

Civil rights include the right to liberty, right to freedom of religion or conscience, right
to freedom of assembly, and right to freedom of expression. 154 countries
guarantee all of these rights in their Constitution using universal language.
3. The Education Initiative
This initiative provides a comprehensive
source of data on educational policy,
practice, and progress around the
globe, motivated by the goals of
UNESCO’s Education for All 2015. The
following measures, among others, are
being examined:

Availability of pre-primary to tertiary
education

Teaching days per year and years of
schooling mandated

Teacher training and education level

Adult and special education provision
Where Does the WoRLD Stand on
Education?

8 countries reported no special education provisions and
an additional 16 had no public sector special education.
4. The Child Labour Initiative
This initiative will allow researchers to launch investigations into the relationships
between international standards and domestic legislation on child labour and health
and social outcomes. The indicators which will be included in the database have
been chosen to reflect countries’ performances in relation to the recommendations
put forth in the following international statements and conventions:

UN Declaration of Human Rights (1948)
UN Convention on the Rights of the Child
(1989) and optional protocols on armed
conflict and prostitution/pornography

ILO Minimum Age Convention, C-138
(1973)

ILO Worst Forms of Child Labour
Convention, C-182 (1999)

UN Covenants on Economic, Social and
Cultural Rights (1976)

Where Does the WoRLD Stand on
Child Labour?

Eight countries do not prohibit youth from performing
hazardous labour at age 14.
Type of Work Permitted at Age 14
Type of Work Permitted at Age 14
No work permitted
Work permitted under certain specific circumstances
Light work permitted
General employment permitted
Hazardous labour permitted
Insufficient Data
5. The Poverty Reduction Policy
Database
This initiative focuses on mechanisms aimed at lifting individuals and
families out of poverty. Based on key components of ten international
conventions, it consists of five sub-databases focusing on:



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Minimum wage policies
Unemployment benefit policies
Policies that provide family benefits
Policies targeting individuals with
disabilities
Policies that provide income assistance to
the elderly
Building and Using WoRLD Together
We hope to work together in building and using these tools
to:
 Hold governments accountable for their international
agreements and legislative commitments
Identify which public policies matter to human and
national outcomes

Develop a better understanding of the best design for
these policies
