More than half the world’s economies bar women from the same jobs as men, The Wall Street Journal says. Citing a World Bank report, the newspaper said that women are often prohibited from entering higher-wage fields, sealing their economic fates. But as countries increase legal protections for women — such as enabling them to apply for passports and credit — the gap in wealth shrinks, “as does the gap between men and women entering the labor force.” And, while women find greater economic equity in wealthier countries, the U.S. scores among the lowest on paid parental leave policies. The failure to require such leave can mark females as a employment liability, the report says.