Country Gender Assessment
52 items available
Permanent URI for this collection
Items in this collection
1 - 10 of 52
-
Publication
Bangladesh Country Gender Assessment 2021
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2022)This Country Gender Assessment presents key gender issues to be considered for Bangladesh’s desired transformation. The objective of the assessment is to inform the World Bank Country Partnership Framework (CPF) for Bangladesh, which is currently being developed. Gender issues are discussed across the four pillars of the World Bank Gender Strategy FY16–23 (World Bank Group 2015). Given the unique challenges emerging from the Displaced Rohingya Population (DRP) influx, gender gap analysis is also conducted for the host community in Cox’s Bazar district. Timely discussion of the impacts of Coronavirus (COVID-19) on women and girls is included as part of the analysis of gender gaps across these five areas. Similarly, the impacts of climate change on women and girls and their potential role in climate adaptation are also discussed across pillars. The Country Gender Assessment serves as a compendium of existing analytical work on gender issues and opportunities by the World Bank, GoB, development partners, academia, and others, including the Bank’s Bangladesh jobs diagnostic and voices to choices report. The executive summary highlights key interlinkages between the barriers to gender equality and the frontier challenges that Bangladesh is facing -
Publication
Fostering Gender-Transformative Change in Sustainable Forest Management: A Case Study of DGM Indonesia
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2022)The DGM Indonesia (DGM-I) country project focuses on improving clarity and security of land rights for Indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs), as well as improving livelihood opportunities from sustainable forests and land. In implementation since March 2017, with 63 subprojects either in implementation or completed, there are ample opportunities for detailed examination of a particular DGM-I subproject. This can offer insight into whether and how DGM projects are influencing women’s participation and leadership on the ground, and can also provide an indication of the extent to which the project may be influencing broader social and gender norms in Indonesia. In turn, this case study informs the wider line of inquiry of the World Bank DGM & REDD+ Gender Study, which follows a conceptual framework of gender transformative change to analyze the contribution the DGM-I project is making to women's economic achievement, access to and control over productive assets, voice, and agency that support positive changes in women’s leadership and meaningful participation. The conceptual framework for this study follows a stepwise, yet flexible and dynamic, progression toward gender transformative change. The framework begins by assessing the inputs that the DGM project provides to beneficiaries, such as assets, information, skills, and capacity building. This assessment looks at what types of inputs are provided, as well as to whom and how they are provided. Next, we assess through the framework how those inputs have influenced women’s income and assets, and building on that, how women are gaining voice and agency. Next, we assess whether and how those changes in voice and agency are influencing gender norms, attitudes, and perceptions of women and men at multiple levels, from individual to household to community. Finally, we look at whether those shifts have the potential to be sustained beyond the lifetime of the project and influence more formal practices, rules, policies, and laws that treat women in an unequal way. -
Publication
Malaysia Country Gender Note 2021
(World Bank, Kuala Lumpur, 2021-08)The Malaysia Country Gender Diagnostic Note will serve as a guide to identify the priority areas for the World Bank country office in Malaysia to address the gender equality challenges in meeting the country’s aspirations and next stage of development, particularly in the areas of inclusive growth and sustainability. This diagnostic builds on the first review that was completed in 2018, and aims to understand the changes from 2017 to 2020, especially with regards to the impact of the pandemic on gender issues. This note has strived to obtain the most current data. Where 2019 to 2020 micro-data is not available, this diagnostic is based on data and analysis drawn from published reports using data obtained from the Department of Statistics Malaysia. The diagnostic commences with a review of Malaysia’s performance in gender indicators in global indices, and documents areas of progress and areas where Malaysia is lagging in comparison to Southeast Asian (SEA) neighbors and selected countries in the East Asia and Pacific (EAP) region, as well as aspirational high-income nations. The diagnostic follows the framework of the 2012 World Development Report on Gender Equality and Development, and focuses on three priority areas: human endowments, voice and agency, and economic opportunities. This note also considers the changes in Government and national policies, and on pertinent emerging issues. Malaysia scores poorly in gender-related indicators, although it performs fairly well on a number of human development indicators in international indices. Since the previous Gender Diagnostic Note 2018, Malaysia’s performance in the global gender indices has not changed significantly. For example, in the Women, Business and Law Report 2021, Malaysia maintained its score at 50 and comes in the bottom 20th percentile. When compared to regional comparators and aspirational high-income economies, Malaysia is underperforming. -
Publication
Thailand Country Gender Assessment
(Washington, DC, 2021-03-08)The purpose of this gender assessment is to support the development of Thailand’s Country Gender Action Plan (CGAP) (FY21–FY22) and to guide the World Bank Group’s efforts to address gender equality challenges relevant to meeting the priorities of the Country Partnership Framework (CPF) for Thailand. The diagnostic follows the framework of the 2012 World Development Report on Gender Equality and Development, with a focus on endowments, voice and agency, and economic opportunities. The first chapter is a country overview that outlines Thailand’s performance in global gender indexes and introduces institutional frameworks related to gender, including legislation, international obligations, and national policies and plans, and institutional mechanisms. The second chapter on human endowments details the progress in closing gender gaps in health and education outcomes, such as maternal mortality and fertility, as well as educational enrollment and attainment. The third chapter presents trends in women’s representation in senior levels of the public and private sectors, as well as the status of women’s political representation. The fourth chapter highlights emerging areas of concern, such as adolescent pregnancy, discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex people (LGBTI) groups, and gender issues related to the conflict in Southern Thailand. Finally, the fifth chapter analyzes gender gaps in employment, wages, and information and communication technology (ICT) access and explores constraints on women’s work. It also looks at the impact of COVID-19 in exacerbating these gaps. The final chapter proposes recommendations for priorities that the World Bank Group could focus on moving forward. -
Publication
Country Gender Assessment: Georgia
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2021-03)This Country Gender Assessment (CGA) provides empirical evidence and analyses equality between the women and men of Georgia. Methodologically, the report adopts the Gender Assessment framework proposed by the World Development Report on Gender Equality and Development (WDR 2012) to analyze recent progress and pending challenges in gender equity, across three key dimensions: (a) endowments, (b) economic opportunities, and (c) agency and Voice. Based on this framework, extensive research was conducted to identify available data sources and empirical evidence, on indicators such as poverty, health, education, perceptions, and wellbeing, among others affecting gender equity in Georgia. In addition to its intrinsic value, promoting gender equality is a central priority to reduce poverty, boost shared prosperity, and advance the aspirations of the middle class. Georgia’s development challenges entail adjusting and refining the country’s growth paradigm, and translating economic growth to more rapid, sustainable poverty reductions (World Bank 2018a). However, sustained growth, poverty reduction, and shared prosperity require that economic gains improve welfare among all communities, households, and individuals (World Bank 2019). Promoting women’s economic opportunities, access to endowments, and voice and agency is fundamental in tackling some of Georgia’s main policy challenges, including raising labor productivity, integrating with the global economy, and invigorating stagnant rural areas (World Bank 2018a). Moreover, the socioeconomic impacts derived from the COVID-19 pandemic present countries with an inflexion point, to either enhance gender equality and benefit from its long-term benefits, or to risk losing fundamental progress in gender issues, and forego development opportunities in the future. -
Publication
Trade Facilitation and Gender Dimensions in South Africa: Survey Findings and Recommendations
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2021)Access to international markets plays a critical role in an economy’s growth and development. Trade facilitation, the simplification, modernization, and harmonization of export and import processes has therefore emerged as an important issue for countries, as is reflected in the World Trade Organization Trade Facilitation Agreement (WTO TFA), which came into effect on February 22, 2017. Increasingly, it is recognized that women traders face particular challenges when undertaking cross-border trade, such as lack of information and knowledge of cross-border regulations and procedures, lack of physical security at border crossings, exposure to harassment and gender-based violence at borders, and corruption. This report presents the results of a survey on trade facilitation challenges faced by traders and customs agents in South Africa. The survey also explored trade facilitation challenges related to Coronavirus (COVID-19). -
Publication
Gender Assessment in Benin: Women’s Participation in Economic Opportunities and Decision-Making
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2021-01)Gender equality is important for development—it matters not only for women and girls, and boys and men but also for communities and societies—for poverty reduction and economic growth. This assessment report provides an in-depth description of the gaps between women and men in Benin regarding endowments, economic opportunities, and agency—in line with the framework proposed in the 2012 World Development Report on gender equality and development (World Bank 2012b). According to this framework, the interaction between households, markets, and institutions is critical to understanding gender-related outcomes and their associations with development. Household decisions are based on preferences, incentives, and constraints, which are largely molded by informal institutions such as social norms or networks, formal institutions, and markets. Markets, institutions, and households interact to shape women’s status relative to men’s with respect to agency (or the ability to act and decide on one’s own life), endowments (human capital accumulation in the form of education and health), and economic opportunities (access to employment and income-generating activities). -
Publication
Indonesia Country Gender Assessment: Investing in Opportunities for Women
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2020)In 2018, Indonesia’s poverty rate fell below 10 percent for the first time; poverty rates had halved over the previous two decades, driven in large part by strong economic growth in the country. Continued economic growth, rather than changes in distribution, will continue to be a key driver of poverty reduction. The objective of continued economic growth and poverty reduction is apparent in the Government of Indonesia’s new medium-term development plan (Rencana Pembanguanan Jangka Menengah Nasional or RPJMN) (2020-2024). Investments in gender equality to close specific gender gaps have the potential to contribute to greater economic growth for Indonesia, thereby contributing to further poverty reduction. The objectives of this report are to review the current status of gender equality and women’s issues in Indonesia; and to provide an evidence base for the Indonesian Government on specific actions and priority responses needed to close gender gaps to drive the growth and human capital potential of the country. Specifically, the assessment focuses on areas where demonstrated improvements in gender equality can contribute to economic growth, both in the short term through improvements in economic participation, but also over the medium term through investments in human capital. The report starts by providing the assessment framework and context to understand patterns of gender equality in Indonesia in chapter one and chapter two. It then moves to a discussion on women’s economic participation to elucidate the key factors underlying these current trends in chapter three, before moving to a discussion of the current areas Indonesia will need to address to ensure the equivalent human capital accumulation of women across the country in chapter four. It then summarizes some of the early dual health and economic impacts of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in chapter five, before providing a set of strategic priority actions to advance the country’s growth and poverty reduction objectives through investments in gender equality in chapter six. -
Publication
Colombia Gender Assessment
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2019-06-14)Achieving gender equality in Colombia is critical to the country’s future economic development and social cohesion; yet it remains an ongoing challenge. The government of Colombia recognizes the importance of closing the country’s gender gaps and is working on multiple fronts to realize this objective. However, and although preliminary findings indicate that substantial progress has been made over the last two decades, several challenges remain. Using the framework provided by the 2012 World Development Report, this assessment allows identifying the main existing gender gaps across the areas of agency, endowments and economic opportunity, and the major driving factors with regards to households, institutions and markets (chapters one, two, three, and four). Based on this diagnostic, chapter five provides some policy recommendations that may help to close the existing gender gaps. -
Publication
Investing in Opportunities for All: Croatia Country Gender Assessment
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2019-05)The Croatia Country Gender Assessment reviewed the state of equality between women and men in Croatia in endowments, economic opportunities, and voice and agency. Overall, the country has made progress on including gender equality both institutionally and legally into its policy agenda. Certain indicators of gender equality remain strong, such as equitable primary and secondaryschool enrollment for boys and girls. A closer look reveals areas that need to be improved, such as equality in the labor market, women's entrepreneurship and role in politics and business, the situation of Roma women, rural and urban disparities, care work distribution between men and women, and the inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) people.The most significant gap is in access to economic opportunities, with a large number of women, youth, retirees, and minorities excluded from the labor market. Sustainable and effective solutions for this complex issue lie in a whole of government effort covering education andskills development, including retraining and lifelong learning; equity in healthcare; provision of care services to enable women to enter the labor market; and inclusive entrepreneurship. The findings are in line with some of the issues raised in the Croatia Systematic Country Diagnostic of the World Bank; this assessment unpacks these issues in more detail and identifies additional areas for attention. The World Bank could use its engagement with the Government of Croatia to advocate for these issues, and to look for entry points in its current portfolio and pipeline. To this end, a Gender Roadmap has been developed under the Country Partnership Framework (2019-2024) that will focus on how some of the gender gaps could be reduced through the Bank's current and future engagements, and progress tracked periodically. It shows a commitment by the Bank to follow up on the findings and the recommendations arising from this assessment. The conclusions have been arrived at using mixed methods, supplementing quantitative sources with qualitative tools. The assessment is also innovative in highlighting the intersectionality of overlapping disadvantages arising from social and spatial exclusion. It does this by bringing in voices of the youth, elderly women, Roma, and LGBTI from Slavonia (one of the least-developed parts of the country), and Zagreb (the most developed). For instance, the cumulative disadvantages for an elderly rural woman in less-developed Slavonia is not the same as that for a woman of similar age in the capital Zagreb.