World Bank: Addressing World Bank: Addressing Gender Issues in Developing Gender Issues in Developing

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Daniel StephensonDaniel Stephenson

World BankWorld Bank

Refresher on backgroundRefresher on background Founded in 1944Founded in 1944 Provided $17.3 million to country clients in 2001Provided $17.3 million to country clients in 2001 Owned by more than 180 member countriesOwned by more than 180 member countries

MissionMission To fight poverty with passion and professionalism To fight poverty with passion and professionalism

for lasting results. for lasting results. Economic Economic

The Relevance of GenderThe Relevance of Gender

Gender-responsive Gender-responsive development actions development actions justified because they justified because they help to fulfill this help to fulfill this missionmission

Basis for World Bank’s WorkBasis for World Bank’s Work

Countries which promote women’s rights and Countries which promote women’s rights and increase their access to resources and schooling increase their access to resources and schooling enjoy lower poverty rates, faster economic growth enjoy lower poverty rates, faster economic growth and less corruption than countries that do not.and less corruption than countries that do not.

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Gender inequality hurts all members of society Gender inequality hurts all members of society Smaller gaps between women and men =Smaller gaps between women and men =

Lower child malnutrition and mortality Lower child malnutrition and mortality Greater transparency in business and government Greater transparency in business and government Faster economic growthFaster economic growth

All these in turn narrow the gender gap!All these in turn narrow the gender gap!

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Increasing gender equality is not only Increasing gender equality is not only central to the idea of development of central to the idea of development of freedom and control that people have over freedom and control that people have over their lives, but evidence shows that their lives, but evidence shows that education, health, productivity, credit and education, health, productivity, credit and governance work better when women are governance work better when women are involved. involved. – Nicholas Stern, WB Chief – Nicholas Stern, WB Chief Economist and Senior Vice PresidentEconomist and Senior Vice President

Gender InequalitiesGender Inequalities

VoiceVoice EducationEducation ResourcesResources

Examples: Economic GrowthExamples: Economic Growth

In In AfricaAfrica improving rural women’s access to improving rural women’s access to productive resources including education, land, and productive resources including education, land, and fertilizer could increase agricultural productivity by fertilizer could increase agricultural productivity by as much as one-fifthas much as one-fifth

Examples: Economic GrowthExamples: Economic Growth

In In BangladeshBangladesh, micro credit provided to women , micro credit provided to women has higher returns in terms of raising household has higher returns in terms of raising household consumption (income) than the same credit consumption (income) than the same credit provided to men. provided to men.

Examples: GovernanceExamples: Governance

Cross country studies show that where Cross country studies show that where women have greater rights and play a greater women have greater rights and play a greater role in public life, levels of corruption in role in public life, levels of corruption in government are lower. government are lower.

Examples: GovernanceExamples: Governance

In the In the Republic of GeorgiaRepublic of Georgia a study of 350 a study of 350 firms showed that firms owned or managed firms showed that firms owned or managed by women are significantly less likely to by women are significantly less likely to make unofficial payments to government make unofficial payments to government officials (bribes) than those owned or officials (bribes) than those owned or managed by men. managed by men.

Examples: Well-BeingExamples: Well-Being

Greater equality in education means healthier Greater equality in education means healthier families. If African families. If African women and men women and men had had more equal schooling, child mortality would more equal schooling, child mortality would have been 25% lower than it was in 1990.have been 25% lower than it was in 1990.

Examples: Well-BeingExamples: Well-Being

A cross-country study of 63 countries finds that A cross-country study of 63 countries finds that gains in women’s education made the single largest gains in women’s education made the single largest contribution to declines in malnutrition in 1970-95, contribution to declines in malnutrition in 1970-95, accounting for 43% of the total.accounting for 43% of the total.

Examples: Well-BeingExamples: Well-Being

Smaller gender gaps in literacy translates into Smaller gender gaps in literacy translates into lower HIV infection rates, even after lower HIV infection rates, even after accounting for the effects of per capita income accounting for the effects of per capita income and other factors known to affect HIV and other factors known to affect HIV prevalence. prevalence.

Examples: Well-BeingExamples: Well-Being

Women’s income, not just education matters. Women’s income, not just education matters. In In BrazilBrazil, income in the hands of mothers has , income in the hands of mothers has four times the impact on child nutrition than four times the impact on child nutrition than the same income in the hands of fathers. the same income in the hands of fathers. Similar patterns are seen in Similar patterns are seen in BangladeshBangladesh and and othersothers

World Bank’s StrategyWorld Bank’s Strategy

work with governments and civil society in work with governments and civil society in client countries, and with other donors, to client countries, and with other donors, to diagnose the gender-related barriers to and diagnose the gender-related barriers to and opportunities for poverty reduction and opportunities for poverty reduction and sustainable development; and will then sustainable development; and will then identify and support appropriate actions to identify and support appropriate actions to reduce these barriers and capitalize on the reduce these barriers and capitalize on the opportunitiesopportunities

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Guiding Principles: Guiding Principles: country specificcountry specific country led country led supportive but proactive supportive but proactive

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Strategy continued..Strategy continued..

Basic Process has 3 StepsBasic Process has 3 Steps IdentifyIdentify. Prepare, for each country in which the . Prepare, for each country in which the

Bank has an active lending program, a periodic, Bank has an active lending program, a periodic, Country Gender Assessment analyzing the Country Gender Assessment analyzing the gender dimensions of development across sectors gender dimensions of development across sectors and identifying the gender-responsive actions and identifying the gender-responsive actions that are important for poverty reduction, that are important for poverty reduction, economic growth, human well-being and economic growth, human well-being and development effectiveness, and use it to inform development effectiveness, and use it to inform the Bank’s country assistance program;the Bank’s country assistance program;

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DevelopDevelop and implement, as part of the country and implement, as part of the country assistance program, priority policy and operational assistance program, priority policy and operational interventions (if any) that respond to the CGA; and interventions (if any) that respond to the CGA; and

Strategy Strategy

MonitorMonitor the implementation and results of the implementation and results of these policy and operational interventions these policy and operational interventions