The W-LEX dataset was collected in Bangladesh, Brazil, and Nigeria during 2024 as part of the Gallup World Poll. Data collection covered nationally representative samples of 1,000 respondents per country through face-to-face household interviews conducted in local languages using Gallup's standardized survey methodology.
The W-LEX questionnaire consists of supplemental modules integrated into the Gallup World Poll. It includes questions capturing both women's own experiences and perceptions of women's economic opportunities and constraints. The survey provides comparable indicators across countries while allowing analysis of differences across demographic and socioeconomic groups.
Based on the survey data, the W-LEX Index was estimated, which measures the extent to which legal reforms translate into women's lived economic opportunities, not just changes in the law. The index combines women's first-person perceptions of their own experiences (Work, Mobility, Entrepreneurship, and Pension) with third-person perceptions of broader societal conditions affecting women (Pay, Parenthood, Childcare, Assets, Marriage, and Safety), recognizing that perceived social norms can shape economic outcomes independently of individual experience. The W-LEX scores were calculated for each one of the ten WBL topics and aggregated into a single country-level index ranging from 0 to 100. Higher scores indicate more favorable perceived economic opportunities for women.
Dataset coverage
- Countries: Bangladesh, Brazil, and Nigeria
- Data collection period: July–December 2024
- Sample size: 1,000 respondents per country
- Survey mode: Face-to-face household interviews
- Coverage: Nationally representative adult population
- WBL Topics covered: Safety, Mobility, Work, Pay, Marriage, Parenthood, Childcare, Entrepreneurship, Assets, and Pension
- Purpose: Measure women's lived experiences and perceptions of economic rights and opportunities, complementing the Women, Business and the Law indicators.
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