Policy Works

Policy briefs





These country-specific 2-pagers cover 144 countries, providing a quick snapshot of Gender Equality outcomes in the country with comparisons to peers and trends. Each 2-pager curates select indicators under Human Endowments, Economic Opportunity, and Voice and Agency tailored to each region; with a special  with special focus on Women, Business, and the Law, Human Capital Index, and the country’s progress in improving female labor force participation.

The Country Gender Landscape briefs draw on data from the revamped World Bank Gender Data Portal and is automatically programmed to show the latest available data points. 

Gender gaps in labor force participation persist worldwide. Closing this gap can lead to sizeable gains for economies—a 20 percent increase in GDP per capita, on average. Female labor force participation (FLFP) remains low due to lack of skills, assets and networks, time-based constraints, limited mobility, gender discrimination in hiring and promotion, and restrictive gender norms. Effective evidence-backed policy options can increase FLFP. They include providing childcare services, disseminating information on work opportunities and returns to employment, training in socio-emotional skills, addressing norms by engaging partners and family members, and targeting women via social protection, safety net, and public-works programs. The World Bank Group actively supports countries in boosting FLFP through development policy lending, advisory and analytical work, and supporting reforms to address constraining contextual factors, including legal barriers, social norms, and gender-based violence. This note sheds light on an array of policy options that are effective or show promise in improving FLFP.

The Gender Innovation Lab (GIL) Federation is a community of practice of the regional GILs: Africa (AFR), East Asia and Pacific (EAP), Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), Middle East and North Africa (MNA), and South Asia (SAR). Together, they are conducting impact evaluations of development interventions to generate evidence and lessons on how to close gender gaps in human capital, earnings, productivity, assets, voice and agency. With over 188 impact evaluations in 66 countries completed to date, the GIL Federation is building the evidence base for governments, development organizations, and the private sector to increase uptake of effective policies that address the underlying causes of gender inequality.

CSIS Commentary [Bahasa Indonesia]

[Bahasa Indonesia]

Report chapters

Ch. 9 in Unlocking the Power of Healthy Longevity: Compendium of Research for the Healthy Longevity Initiative

The world population is aging rapidly, especially in emerging countries, which will be home to 8 out of 10 older adults globally by 2050. The increasing needs for elderly care can result in a shrinking workforce, lowering the productivity and economic growth of developing nations. 

Other works