Investing in women and girls is a key priority for the World Bank, as they recognize that the full and equal participation of women and men, girls and boys, is essential for achieving the potential of countries, communities, and economies. The World Bank believes that empowering women and girls can lead to transformative changes in the economy and improve lives.
- Promoting Women’s Empowerment and Agency for Economic Development:
- Placing women at the center of the development agenda can increase efficiency in the management of institutions and resources.
- Female leaders can have beneficial impacts on social norms.
- Research focuses on interventions such as cash transfers, active labor-market policies, and the role of law and justice in achieving gender equality.
- Gender in Underserved Research Areas:
- The World Bank is working to understand gender issues in underserved areas, including the transport sector and economic and electoral participation in fragile settings.
- Improving transport infrastructure can reduce transaction costs and change how women access markets.
- Interventions are being evaluated to promote women’s access to health services, education, and public transport systems.
- Economic Empowerment Facts and Figures:
- The UN Secretary General’s High-Level Panel on Women’s Economic Empowerment emphasizes the importance of gender equality and women’s economic empowerment.
- The International Monetary Fund highlights the benefits of pursuing women’s economic empowerment.
- Moody’s Analytics emphasizes the need to close the gender gap to unlock productivity gains.
Investing in women and girls is not only a matter of social justice but also a smart economic decision. By empowering women and girls, economies can unlock their full potential and achieve sustainable development. The World Bank’s commitment to investing in women and girls reflects their understanding of the transformative impact it can have on the economy and people’s lives.
