Proxy Dissonance: Evaluating the Empirical Alignment of CPIA Gender Ratings and the Women Business & Law (WBL) Index in Measuring Women's Empowerment
Abstract
This study examines whether two global proxies for women’s empowerment the CPIA Gender Equality Rating and the Women, Business and the Law (WBL) Index are empirically interchangeable. Both indices are central to policy design, development financing, and gender-focused benchmarking, yet their conceptual alignment remains underexplored. Using 2019 cross-sectional data for 39 countries from the World Development Indicators (WDI), the study employs bi-directional univariate Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression, with both standard and heteroskedasticity-robust models, to test mutual proxy validity. Results reveal a positive and statistically significant relationship between the CPIA and WBL indices, indicating some coherence. However, the adjusted R² values 0.23 for the standard model and below 0.18 for the robust specification suggest limited explanatory power. These findings imply that while correlated, the indices capture distinct facets of women’s empowerment. The study recommends using the CPIA and WBL as complementary rather than interchangeable measures to ensure comprehensive gender analysis, advancing more nuanced, multidimensional approaches aligned with Sustainable Development Goal 5.
Keywords:
Women Empowerment, Gender Equality, CPIA Gender Equality Rating, Women, Business and the Law (WBL) Index, Legal Empowerment, Institutional Gender Metrics, Gender Governance, Sustainable Development Goal
